James Gunn and Peter Safran’s DCU has been taking shape over the past year, with Gunn’s Superman film as well as the shows Peacemaker and Creature Commandos have struck chords with audiences. However, Supergirl – the most recent big-screen entry in the burgeoning interconnected universe – was met with middling reviews and low box office receipts. HBO's Lanterns comes on the heels of that movie’s performance, and I love how one of the EP’s responded when asked if the creative team now feels “pressure.”

To put it simply, this is an important time for the DCU continuity, as the brain trust at DC Studios seeks to draw in fans with varied stories of do-gooders, bad guys and everyone in between. Craig Gillespie’s Supergirl (which I mostly enjoyed) now represents a misstep in that plan. This came up when Lanterns showrunner Chris Mundy was asked about this while speaking to SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend. Mundy suggested that any question about pressure should be forwarded to his bosses before adding more thoughts:

So, in other words, the Ozark alum is cognizant of the 2026 movie schedule entry’s performance, but he’s not dwelling on it. Mundy’s perspective on the situation is more than reasonable, considering that he can only control the corner of the DCU that he’s responsible for. As he says, that also means encouraging people to watch the show he and his team made, despite how some may feel in the aftermath of Supergirl. I appreciate Mundy’s candor on his show as well as the fact that he still understands the corporate side of this:

It goes without saying that execs at WB and DC Studios probably wish Supergirl had performed better. As it stands, the film has only made a little over $126 million worldwide against a reported production budget somewhere between $170 million and $186 million. Despite the movie not moving the needle, execs are still excited about Man of Tomorrow, Clayface and other upcoming entries in the franchise.

As for Lanterns, it has received positive reviews thus far (though some viewers weren’t happy with that Hal Jordan twist in the premiere). Still, like an extraterrestrial lantern, the future still seems bright for the DCU. Not only that but both Green Lantern John Stewart and Kara will both be featured in Man of Tomorrow. All in all, I’d say fans shouldn’t start worrying just yet and keep a level-headed mindset like Chris Mundy.

Lanterns airs on HBO on Sundays at 9 p.m. ET amid the 2026 TV schedule, and episodes are also available to stream with an HBO Max subscription.

The number of times John B. has almost died in Outer Banks should be an indicator of how hard this show is to make. Filmed primarily in Charleston, South Carolina, the cast has had to shoot intense action sequences in the heat, humidity and rain for years. So, knowing they are about to say goodbye to OBX and understanding that working on this series isn’t for the faint of heart, I asked Jonathan Daviss, Drew Starkey and Chase Stokes what they will and won’t miss about filming this series.

Again, while the Netflix show set to premiere its final season on the 2026 TV schedule takes place in North Carolina, a lot of it is filmed in South Carolina. So, when I asked Stokes, Daviss and Starkey what they won’t miss about filming Outer Banks, they were quick to call out the bugs and elemental challenges they faced. For starters, Daviss, who plays Pope, said:

I can’t say I blame them! Mosquitoes are the worst, and dealing with them while also working cannot be easy. However, their list of things they won’t miss (which also serves as a list of challenges they consistently had to deal with during production) does not end there, as the guys explained:

• Drew Starkey: Those very humid Charleston summers.
• Chase Stokes: Yeah, rain delays.
• Drew Starkey: Rain delays.
• Jonathan Daviss: Rain delays.
• Chase Stokes: Lightning delays.

Man, they really hate rain delays! And lightning delays too. As they were filming the final season of Outer Banks, which will premiere on Netflix’s 2026 schedule on August 20, I hope they didn’t have to deal with too much of this. However, it would seem they’re quite accustomed to it.

Anyway, while there’s plenty that won’t be missed about filming Outer Banks, Daviss did note that eventually he will miss these things. All three guys also agreed that they will miss each other as well, explaining:

• Jonathan Daviss: But then, eventually I’ll miss that too.
• Drew Starkey: But I am gonna miss the friendship.
• Jonathan Daviss: Yeah, the friends along the way.
• All three: The friends we made along the way.

Well, that’s incredibly sweet. It’s clear this cast has become close over the last five seasons, and those friendships are what they’ll miss most. I think Drew Starkey, who plays Rafe, put it best, as he told me:

It sounds like the friendships make the mosquitoes and rain delays worth it. However, I’m also happy these guys don’t have to deal with that anymore. Of course, it’s a bummer that they won’t all reunite in this way again. But hopefully, they can all find a way to work together on other projects and continue their friendships outside of South Carolina.

Now, to see the Pogues' final ride, you can stream Season 5 of Outer Banks with a Netflix subscription on August 20.

Many of Andrew Garfield's best movies have been acclaimed Award Season choices, in addition to his tenure starring in the Spider-Man movies (which are streaming with a Disney+ subscription). He recently pivoted over to more family-friendly content with Ben Gregor's The Magic Faraway Tree, and the actor spoke to CinemaBlend about why he wanted to get involved in the book-to-screen adaptation.

The Magic Faraway Tree was a hit movie in the U.K., and now it's finally traveling across the pond and hitting theaters in the States. Garfield plays father Tim Thompson, who moves his family to the country, where his kids meet magical creatures in the forest near their home. I had the chance to speak with the cast a few weeks ago, when the Oscar-nominated actor revealed how his own childhood inspired his involvement in the family comedy. In Garfield's words:

The importance of play and separation from screens is a big idea in The Magic Faraway Tree, so it makes sense that it would inspire Garfield to join the project. Early in the movie, Tim and his wife Polly (Claire Foy) realize that their kids are addicted to screens, and decide to make a change. What results is their three children playing together and having magical adventures in the woods near their home.

The Social Network star went on to share how his own childhood mirrored this, thanks to being in a rural area with access to a forest. Garfield shared with me:

It certainly sounds like the Tony-winning actor can relate to how the Thompson kids are able to connect with nature and their imagination in The Magic Faraway Tree. So while Andrew Garfield has started to play parents on the big screen, it's clear his inner child is very much still in his work.

The 42-year-old actor went on to share another beloved part of his childhood: putting on made-up plays as a young person. In his words:

You can see my conversation with Andrew Garfield below, where he spoke about why he got involved in The Magic Faraway Tree. Check it out:

This family fantasy film has already been a wild success in the U.K., so it should be interesting to see how audiences respond to The Magic Faraway Tree in America. Garfield and Foy are big names, and family movies tend to do well in the summer. What's more, producers have already announced plans for two movie sequels.

The Magic Faraway Tree will hit theaters in the States on August 21st as part of the 2026 movie release list. Of course, there are plenty of fans who are hoping Garfield once again reprises his role as Spider-Man in one of the next two Avengers movies. Hey, at least he's still trying new genres.

Spoilers for The End of Oak Street are ahead! You can catch the movie in theaters right now.

When I went to see The End of Oak Street in theaters following its premiere on the 2026 movie schedule, I expected jump scares, dinosaurs, wild chase sequences and brutal action. What I didn’t expect to see was two dinosaurs having sex. Yes, you read that right: there is one kinky scene in David Robert Mitchell’s movie that features two of the prehistoric creatures, so CinemaBlend asked the director about it.

Now, the wildly reviewed The End of Oak Street makes an effort to show that the dinosaurs don’t just kill. They also search for food, they make people’s backyards their bathrooms, and they have intercourse. They’re living their day-to-day lives in a world where part of a city just happened to show up. So, speaking specifically about that, the moment involving dinosaurs having sex on someone’s roof and how he came up with it, director/writer David Robert Mitchell told CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb:

It was in thinking about how to make these creatures real that Mitchell came up with the idea of the dinosaurs doing it on top of someone’s house. The need for food, water and reproduction are basic elements of life, so it’d only be natural to see all that happening in the movie, as the director pointed out:

Mitchell went on to say that he wrote the scene “pretty quickly,” and he was “very happy” that it not only was able to be in the movie but was a moment that “people have responded” to.

I mean, it’s kind of hard not to respond to, because not only is it a memorable scene by itself, it’s also very relevant to the overarching story. Throughout most of The End of Oak Street, Anne Hathaway’s Denise and Ewan McGregor’s Greg are having issues with their marriage and constantly arguing. While out on a walk, they see two dinosaurs being intimate and, like me and I'd assume most viewers, were shocked by what they witnessed.

So, Denise took a photo of her husband in front of the dinos, and he posed like he was a tourist in this prehistoric land. It was a funny moment, and then it served as an instance of love and light for Hathaway’s character to look back on after Greg got eaten and she was trying to fight her way home with her kids.

Even at the end of The End of Oak Street, this photo is hanging on the family’s wall years after their interactions with the dinosaurs.

So, the kinky dinosaur scene was vital to this film, and it helped show how these creatures live when they aren’t chasing and eating humans and other animals (don’t worry, Starbuck, the family’s dog and one of my new favorite fictional pets, does not die in the movie). Ultimately, it was a wild moment to include; however, I do see why David Robert Mitchell did it, and it certainly is one of many reasons why The End of Oak Street is such a surprising and wild dinosaur movie.

Spoilers obviously ensue, but I hope your up-to-date because the nominations this week are even wilder!

Chuk Anyanwu was blindsided when he left the Big Brother house during Lala Verrett's HOH week, and even that wasn't quite as shocking as the wild conversation he had with Taylor Brown prior. Chuk didn't know what to expect when he signed up for the reality series, but I would wager he never imagined he'd be having an intimate discussion about his nether regions.

In a moment that went viral with those watching Big Brother online, Taylor confronted Chuk while he was playing chess with Haley Thogmartin. She claimed that his poor hygiene "down there" was making the bathroom have an odor, and that he needed to "manscape" to correct it. CinemaBlend asked Chuk about the moment, mentioning that it went viral, and wanted his thoughts on how he felt about Taylor talking to him about that:

I don't think it's any surprise that Chuk was upset to be accused of something that feels so personal and private, though he was using a bathroom shared by several other Houseguests. Taylor can insist all she wants he was the problem, but at the end of the day, it's not like anyone knows for sure.

As mentioned, the moment went from being viewed by those watching the live feeds with a Paramount+ subscription to the larger fandom on the internet. After finding out he was the subject of conversation and memes for that reason, Chuk only had this to say:

Chuk had zero plans of working with Taylor had he survived the week, which makes one wonder what the current house dynamic would be. Would Yash have kept Chuk off the block during his HOH week, or would he have effectively been in the same position Haley Thogmartin is in this week?

I guess it doesn't really matter, as Big Brother's Chuk is now on the outside, and presumably won't get to talk to Taylor anytime soon. That said, it seems he has a lot to say, as he continued with how inconsiderate she was talking about that:

Chuk won't be the only Houseguest to leave Big Brother Season 28 with a grudge against another Houseguest. Jason De Puy told CinemaBlend he took issue with Kamu Kirk calling him his "Zesty Bestie," citing it as more of a microaggression than anything.

Meanwhile, the action rages on in the Big Brother house. There's word that Rick Devens may use his power, showing once again it was the right call to bring him in to shake things up (though maybe not to win; we'll see.) I'll be curious to see what Chuk has to say about it once he gets settled in at home, assuming he plans to tune in and watch.

Big Brother airs on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. I can't wait to see how this week ends and who we'll see on the block when the dust settles after the veto ceremony.

Spoilers ahead for the premiere episode of Lanterns.

We're still early into the newly formed DCEU, with co-CEO James Gunn releasing a variety of projects on the silver screen and on HBO (and streaming with a HBO Max subscription). Folks who have been watching the DC movies in order were just treated to the first episode of Lanterns, and I can't get over how the Green Lantern signature ring was used in one sequence in particular.

What we know about Lanterns has been limited, but it's the next part the first slate of projects titled Gods and Monsters. In Episode 1 Aaron Pierre's John Stewart has sex in a car with Poorna Jagannathan's character Zoe, and afterward lights her post-coital cigarette with the Power Ring. When speaking with the cast ahead of the show's premiere, I had to ask the Deli Boys actress about this steamy way of interacting with the Green Lantern Corps.' powerful weapon. She told me:

From early on in Lanterns it's clear that his is a very different type of superhero show. The show feels akin to creator Chris Mundy's other project like Ozark, combining a crime drama with the comic book genre. The fact that John Stewart has vehicular relations with a stranger in the premiere is just one example of this more adult-oriented tone. And using a Power Ring to light an after sex cigarette was a surprisingly steamy cherry on top of the cake.

Later in our conversation, Poorna Jagannathan spoke about filming that scene with co-star Aaron Pierre. It turns out it was very early in her tenure playing Zoe, which adds another dynamic to the scene. She told me:

Talk about jumping into a new job with both feet. Jagannathan and Pierre spent a ton of time together filming that car scene, and it sounds like they really got to know each other in the process. She said they spent that time talking about their lives, and it sounds like it was overall a positive experience. And I have to assume that only helped the pair of actor's chemistry as they continued to film Lanterns and flesh out John and Zoe's relationship.

Lanterns airs new episodes Sundays on HBO as part of the 2026 TV schedule. While the show got some backlash about the trailer not being green enough, the ways that Hal Jordan and John Stewart use the Green Lantern ring has already been memorable.

Major spoilers for The End of Oak Street are ahead! You can catch the movie in theaters now.

Nothing stresses me out more while watching a movie than the possibility of an animal, and specifically a dog, dying. So, when I watched The End of Oak Street (which is getting wild reviews, by the way), I was very concerned for the Platt family’s dog, Starbuck. Thankfully, the blue heeler survived to the very end.

However, when CinemaBlend spoke to director David Robert Mitchell and producer J.J. Abrams about their film, they revealed that things could have ended differently for Starbuck. They also shared their thoughts on the sci-fi film’s time-twisting ending.

We Know, For A Fact, That The Dog Survives To The End Of The Movie

So, after the family played by Anne Hathaway (Denise), Ewan McGregor (Greg), Maisy Stella (Audrey) and Christian Convery (Brian) arrive in a land filled with dinosaurs, their dog, Starbuck, goes missing. Then, throughout the movie, which is actually a bit horror-esque and even takes some inspiration from Poltergeist, it’s implied that the pup might be dead. However, he makes a triumphant return and saves Brian toward the end of the film.

Considering how his fate is kind of up in the air for a lot of the movie’s runtime, though, CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb asked Mitchell and Abrams if they “ever considered pulling a Marley & Me” on Starbuck. Here’s how they responded:

• David Robert Mitchell: Everything's a consideration.
• J.J. Abrams: It was definitely in conversation, yes.
• David Robert Mitchell: We talked about it, yes.
• J.J. Abrams: The red band version of the movie might have a different—

Well, thank goodness this entry on the 2026 movie schedule is rated PG-13. I would have been beside myself if Starbuck died!

Overall, I’m so grateful they went the route they did and made the adorable pup one of the movie’s heroes, as the director explained:

Ultimately, Starbuck makes it to the very end of the movie, jumps through the portal with Denise, Audrey and Brian, and lives happily with the Platt family after they arrive back in the present...Well, kind of the present; they actually arrive a few minutes before they were taken in the first place. And to that point, while we can say with full confidence that the dog lives (thank goodness), the rest of the ending is a bit harder to pin down.

The Rest Of The End Of Oak Street’s Ending Should Be Kept Open-Ended

Now, while Starbuck absolutely survives this trip to the world of dinosaurs (even though they thought about killing him), the ending leaves us with questions about what exactly might happen after the family and their dog return to their time. Are they in a time-loop after jumping through that portal and landing a few minutes before they disappeared in the first place? Will they meet other versions of themselves eventually?

Those are questions we tried to ask, but David Robert Mitchell wanted to leave it all open-ended, telling CinemaBlend:

When asked if he had his own ideas about what happened, Mitchell said he did. However, he would not reveal those details. He went on to explain that he doesn’t really want to say something happens a specific way. Instead, there’s “enough structure there within the story itself” that you can answer the questions about the ending yourself.

So, while a lot of that timey-wimey ending can be left up for debate, one thing we know for certain is that Starbuck, the dog who belongs on the list of best movie pets, survives.

Minor spoilers for The Wrong Girls are ahead! You can catch the well-reviewed stoner comedy in theaters now.

Kristen Stewart’s style is iconic. From saying she’d wear an old white T-shirt to her wedding to proving that you can rock a sheer skirt and shorts at the same time, she’s donned countless looks that were extremely cool and challenged the norms of women’s fashion. Now, in her new movie, The Wrong Girls, she’s doing that in a very unique way, as she and Alia Shawkat had to wear outfits made of trash bags for a significant portion of the film. I, obviously, had to ask them what exactly it was like to rock such chic yet trashy outfits.

Now, I know it’s odd to read that they wore outfits made of trash bags; however, that’s exactly what happened. During this comedy that sees Stewart and Shawkat’s stoned characters realize they have a power some bad people want, their characters, Frankie and Molly, need to change for a party but don’t have access to their clothes. They naturally decide to fashion fits out of garbage bags. Take a look:

So, I asked the actresses pictured above and writer/director Dylan Meyer (who also happens to be Stewart’s wife) about these honestly cute outfits and what it was like to wear them. The Twilight star began the conversation by telling a story about a photo she and the Arrested Development actress took the first time they tried the trashy fits on:

• Kristen Stewart: Ok, so there’s this picture that is so good and cute.
• Alia Shawkat: Oh, wait, I don’t know if I’ve seen it.
• Kristen Stewart: I sent it to you, for sure. You’ve seen it; I’ll show it to you after this. It's like it's the first time we put the trash bags on.
• Alia Shawkat: Oh yeah, in the mirror?
• Kristen Stewart: Yeah, and we literally were like, and we've never felt ourselves harder. We were just like—
• Alia Shawkat: Posing all sexy. I was like, ‘Damn, we look hot as fuck.’

Honestly, they did look hot during these scenes in The Wrong Girls, and the garbage garments also gave the release on the 2026 movie schedule a very unique, stylish and hilarious flair. To that point, Stewart noted that she felt like these creatively cut ensembles made of garbage bags were kind of “high fashion.” However, we also have to remember that they were literally wearing trash bags...

This is when things got hard. The women had to wear their outfits for days on end, and Shawkat told me that after several 15-hour days, the fits were not as fun:

Meyer then chimed in to say she thinks they had to wear the outfits for “weeks,” and they did so while it was “cold” outside. And notably, along with wearing the fits to a party, Stewart and Shawkat donned them during the following scene where they were trying to get home.

However, they committed to the bit, rocked the outfits, which included an off-the-shoulder minidress and a cute matching set, and locked in. As Stewart explained, costume designer Heidi Bivens “killed it,” and the garments ended up really making all the jokes even funnier.

Now, to see these ladies and their trash bag outfits in action, you can catch The Wrong Girls in theaters now.

A couple of years ago, Matthew McConaughey posted a gnarly post-bee-sting photo that showed his face all swollen. It turns out, he’s allergic to bees, and that became clear the hard way while he was working on The Rivals of Amziah King. So, when I spoke to him about playing a beekeeper in this Western premiering on the 2026 movie schedule, I had to ask how he safely worked with thousands of bees.

After taking a break from acting, McConaughey returned for The Rivals of Amziah King. It turned out to be quite the comeback project too, for a few reasons. One being it’s already critically acclaimed (in fact, I think it’s one of my favorite movies from McConaughey). The other reason isn’t as great, because not only did they have to deal with thousands of bees, they had to deal with one of the lead’s safety around them too. So, how did they pull off the bee-filled sequences without putting the actor in danger or delaying the film? Here’s what the Oscar winner had to say:

When I asked the stars and director how many bees were on set with them, McConaughey quipped that it was “all of them,” while writer/director Andrew Patterson noted that the number was in the “tens of thousands.” The True Detective star also clarified that there was no VFX used, so all the bees were real.

With that in mind, I asked about the scenes in the movie where McConaughey and his co-star Angelina LookingGlass hold the queen and get swarmed by tons of bees. I’m not kidding; as you can see in the clip above, they are covered in bees. The How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days actor explained what you have to be thinking about and doing (or, more accurately, not doing) when the bees are piling on to you:

Well, that sounds incredibly stressful. I know Matthew McConaughey has been in some scary situations before, and I know actors get injured while working, so this likely wasn’t the biggest of deals. But his allergy and all those bees had to have made filming this project intense. However, he stayed “alright, alright, alright” as they filmed.

In fact, he didn’t get stung when they shot that sequence. So, this strategy for making it through the scene where the bees swarm him, which you can read more about below, really paid off.

So, that’s how Matthew McConaughey dealt with the thousands of bees and made it through this process with only one sting (which happened during pre-production). And that’s great news too, because he is allergic!

Now, to see McConaughey in action with all those bees, which were really, truly there with him, you can see The Rivals of Amziah King in theaters now.

No one has ever accused Steve-O of being afraid of getting dirty for the laughs. The self-described “attention whore” was always willing to do among the grossest stunts over the 25-year+ history of the Jackass franchise. In celebration of the VOD release of Jackass: Best and Last (which landed on the 2026 movie schedule earlier this year), I had a chance to ask Steve-O about one of his most notorious–and grossest–stunts. I’m talking about the “Poo Cocktail Supreme,” when the daredevil was launched by slingshot in a portapotty filled with poop in Jackass: 3D.

The poop wasn’t human, which I didn’t realize. It was dog poop. I’m not sure that makes it any better, but it does mean that Steve-O has been left with a constant reminder of his epic stunt. When I asked him about the stunt, he explained why he still thinks of it all the time. Of the poop, he says:

He had a lot more to say about how they set up the stunt, including using a company called “We Do Doo Doo.” Check out his full answer on our Instagram page:

Steve-O has since become a true dog lover, and even in our interview, one of his dogs hopped up onto his lap. He's also moved to a farm outside Nashville where he and his ex-partner Lux Wright started an animal sanctuary called Radical Ranch, where, according to their website, they have a "mission to adopt and care for animals in need while inspiring compassion for animals in a fun and radical environment. "

Given all that goes into animal care, and speaking as a dog owner myself who often picks up his pet's poop on walks, I'm positive this is one stunt that Steve-O will never forget.

Steve-O and the rest of the Jackass crew are celebrating all that is and was great about the franchise over the years, including this moment from Jackass: 3D, which you can check out with a Paramount+ subscription. There are plenty more moments, of course, in Jackass: Best and Last, which you can buy through your Prime subscription, that you can celebrate along with them. It's a very fitting conclusion to one of the wildest and funniest franchises in Hollywood history.

I can’t stop thinking about how Anne Hathaway is the lead of five movies on the 2026 release schedule. First she played a pop star in A24’s Mother Mary, then she had two commercial hits in The Devil Wears Prada and The Odyssey. Which brings us to this weekend, where she stars in the dinosaur film The End Of Oak Street. How the heck?

CinemaBlend’s Jeff McCobb spoke to The End Of Oak Street’s writer/director David Robert Mitchell and producer J.J. Abrams. During the interview, he had to ask if there was any difficulty nailing down the most popular actress in Hollywood. In Mitchell’s words:

You would think, right? Let me try to make sense of it based on what we know about when her five 2026 films were filmed. Mother Mary filmed between May 2023 and July 2024 – so that one was a long time in the making. Then, The End Of Oak Street was actually filmed back in March to June of 2024 and was originally going to come out last May.

But, last year had to be Hathaway’s busiest time because both Verity and The Odyssey were in production the first half of 2026. Hathaway then jumped to The Devil Wears Prada from June to October 2025. Getting Hathaway on board for The End Of Oak Street wasn’t an issue. But, Abrams did mention one way her busy schedule got in the way just a tiny bit. In his words:

The End Of Oak Street has Anne Hathaway playing Denise Platt, who is an aspiring novelist, wife to Ewan McGregor’s Greg. She’s also the mother to two kids Audrey and Brian (played by Maisy Stella and Christian Convery). In the film from the writer/director of It Follows, their quiet suburban neighborhood gets disrupted by a sudden appearance of prehistoric creatures.

At a previous event CinemaBlend attended, J.J. Abrams likened the film to Steven Spielberg’s Poltergeist. You’d think he’d say Jurassic Park from the outside in, wouldn’t you? And, while some have theorized it’s connected to Cloverfield, Abrams has confirmed no, it’s not.

The End Of Oak Street is earning positive reviews from critics who are calling it “crowd-pleasing,” a “good time” and a “rose-tinted romp through Spielberg’s ’80s”. The thriller will perhaps have us thinking for the fourth time this year, “What can’t Anne Hathaway do?” The new movie is now playing only in theaters.

Warning! The following contains spoilers from the Stuart Fails To Save The Universe episode, "Spoiler: Stuart Makes A Wallet." Stream the episode with an HBO Max subscription.

Stuart Bloom was institutionalized in the latest episode, and led to believe that everything he experienced in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe was little more than a psychotic break. Fortunately, he broke free of that universe, but things only got more confusing when he and his friends discovered they were trapped in The Matrix.

That didn't make sense, as Bert pointed out, and they soon shifted to another alternate reality. Their time in "The Matrix" was only a moment, but Kevin Sussman exclusively told CinemaBlend a lot of work went into that short scene:

Recreating the iconic scene from the first movie took a lot of effort, which makes it even funnier that it's only vaguely important to the plot. Bert pointing out there's no way they're in the theatrical universe of The Matrix hints there's something directing their journey, but before they could get to any real answers, they were off to a new location.

Not only was filming that scene to air for the 2026 TV schedule wild, it was also super gross to deal with. The crew of Stuart Fails To Save The Universe made the cast sit in vats of "goo" for the scene, and Kevin Sussman assured me it was no picnic:

When I saw the scene, I guess I assumed the goo was added in post-production or was CGI. It's wild to hear they recreated that with practical effects, and I, too, would be grossed out having to be a party to that. I appreciate that the cast went through it, though, and it makes me love the series even more than I already do.

Kevin Sussman previously told CinemaBlend how surreal it is to star in Stuart Fails To Save The Universe, and how he can't think about it too much. I totally get that after hearing him wrestle with promoting his scene parodying The Matrix, and worrying about the consequences of doing so:

Fortunately, those who watched Stuart Fails To Save The Universe will likely be talking about the latest cameo from The Big Bang Theory cast.

Mayim Bialik Returned As Amy (Sorta) For Stuart Saved The Unvierse

Just one episode after Melissa Rauch played a demon, Mayim Bialik returned as Amy as the head of a behavioral health clinic where Stuart was a resident. Definitely nothing to go wrong in that scenario.

Amy tried to convince Stuart that everything he experienced, including the events of The Big Bang Theory, was all fantasy. It worked for a while, but eventually, Stuart managed to escape and get back on track with saving the universe, I think. Who knows what's up next, or what trauma we'll see befall a former TBBT character.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe streams new episode on HBO Max on Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET. There's plenty of time to catch up for those who haven't yet, and as someone who has seen every episode so far, readers won't be disappointed!

The Eiffel Tower is the epitome of romantic settings, and if it’s good enough for some of the best romance films of all time, it’s good enough for Lacey Chabert in her new Hallmark+ series Paris Is Always a Good Idea. The latest episode, “Knightly,” which hit the 2026 TV schedule on August 13, showed Chelsea (Chabert) exploring her feelings for her work rival. Their Eiffel Tower scene was absolutely swoon-worthy, but they told CinemaBlend that shooting it was a different story altogether.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea sees Lacey Chabert traveling the globe as her character reconnects with a trio of old boyfriends to honor her late mother’s wish.

Unexpectedly, Chelsea starts to warm to her colleague Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster — who insists he’s not mad about having three romantic rivals on the series). I asked the stars about Episode 4’s pivotal Eiffel Tower scene, and Chabert said it was one they’d been looking forward to:

Mother Nature had her own plans for Paris Is Always a Good Idea’s filming schedule, though. The Hallmark queen continued:

It was admittedly “picturesque,” she said, and the crew all banded together to get the scene done, but Scott Michael Foster suggested that while we might have felt heat between Chelsea and Knightly, the actors were experiencing pretty chilly conditions — especially given their wardrobes! He said:

The book-to-screen adaptation takes place in the summer, after all, and the freezing cold shoot proved quite the challenge, as Lacey Chabert added:

That really does sound uncomfortable, and it validates other Hallmark stars who have argued that filming summer movies in the winter might be worse than shooting Christmas movies in the heat.

However, Henry Czerny — who co-stars in Paris Is Always a Good Idea as Chelsea’s father — gave a good perspective on how the weather might have added a little something to the scene. He said:

Wise words indeed! I can’t wait to see how the rest of the six-episode series turns out, because the end of "Knightly" left me questioning everything. Be sure to tune in to Hallmark+ for new episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea, dropping each Thursday in August on the Hallmark schedule.

Star Trek is bringing its classic movies back to theaters this year, but that's just an appetizer to the brand new film that's on the way. Jonathan Goldstein and John Frances Daly are deep into making a new movie unlike anything fans have seen, and while some may be concerned by that, they think fans will be "surprised" by their take.

CinemaBlend had a chance to speak to the duo at San Diego Comic-Con, and after they publicly shared some details on the movie during a panel at the event, they gave us just a bit more. To start, Goldstein revealed his credentials for writing a Star Trek movie and talked about geeking out at the con after a chance encounter with an icon:

Meeting George Takei is quite an honor, especially if you're someone who grew up with an appreciation for the original Star Trek. I also appreciate the love of The Next Generation, especially since its best episodes represent the gold standard that Trekkies expect when watching other content.

The filmmakers were quick to acknowledge, however, that TOS and TNG don't account for the entirety of Star Trek. Goldstein explained their job is to make something that both pays homage to every Trek series available with a Paramount+ subscription while still coming up with an entirely new premise fans haven't seen before:

It's a bold gambit, and one that Star Trek has only embraced in part in its new era. Even Star Trek: Discovery, which took the franchise further into the future than it had ever been previously, originally started back in the TOS era. Namely with Burnham being the adoptive sister of one of Trek's best characters, Spock.

I do believe that the best way to bring in new fans while catering to the existing fan base is to re-introduce Star Trek with new characters. I think we've seen by now that bringing in ties to previous entries makes a general audience apprehensive about tuning in, as there's history and background they're missing.

There's a lot riding on John Frances Daly and Jonathan Goldstein's Star Trek movie, as it'll be the first new feature film to hit theaters for the franchise in over a decade. I'm sure that Paramount would like to get one of its biggest sci-fi IPs off the ground again, and in a position where it can churn out movies at a bigger clip in the future.

While we wait for the new Star Trek movie, keep in mind that there's plenty of Trek waiting for readers over on Paramount+. Strange New Worlds is airing Season 4 at the moment, and if you're looking to see Rebecca Romijn sing 80s power ballads in Klingon, you should totally check it out.

After more than two decades of insane stunts and silly antics, Jackass: Best and Last is putting a period on the Jackass franchise. Best and Last, a sort of greatest-hits/b-sides/retrospective/new-content hybrid, is now available for purchase with a Prime account (and everywhere else online) after hitting theaters earlier this year on the 2026 movie schedule.

One of the biggest stars to emerge from the franchise, of course, is Steve-O. I had a chance to talk to the now-legendary stunt performer about the movie and the franchise's future, but I also needed to ask him about some of my favorite moments over the years. One answer he gave me about why he does what he does was surprising. He doesn’t like to think of himself as a daredevil. He’s something else entirely.

He Doesn't Do It For The Rush

Along with Johnny Knoxville, Steve-O is the most notorious for doing the craziest things in the Jackass universe. He’s famously stapled body parts together, pole vaulted into disgusting water, snorted wasabi, and been launched into the air in a portapotty filled with poop. His stunts are not for the faint of heart. According to Steve-O, though, he doesn’t do it for the thrill or the adrenaline rush; he does it because he loves the reactions the stunts get. Here’s what he told me about it:

He explained that there is a real difference between the two. While Knoxville is all too willing to stand in front of bulls and get knocked out by Butterbean, Steve-O doesn’t want to do anything that could get him permanently injured, so that means he goes for the stuff that grosses people out. It’s safer. He says:

Of course, there is a twisted logic to that, and honestly, one that I totally understand. I don’t like roller coasters, either. I don’t want to snort wasabi, either, but I'd rather do that than get shot wearing a Kevlar vest like Knoxville.

So, while the Jackass franchise is officially over, it’s safe to assume that fans of the series (including me) will get to see plenty more of Steve-O in the future, because he still loves getting attention. That’ll never go away.

Spoilers ahead for Netflix's The Last House.

Horror fans with a Netflix subscription have been looking forward to the upcoming horror movie The Last House, and now it's finally streaming. Directed by Louis Leterrier (Now You See Me, Fast X), the movie follows a family as they're mysteriously trapped inside their home for years to come. That includes the Delgados' aging dog Cassidy, who unfortunately doesn't survive their time in captivity. And I asked the cast if they were prepared to hear from fans who were angry about Cass' fate.

There are plenty of cinephiles who avoid movies were dogs die. In fact, there's an entire website called DoesTheDogDie.Com, which folks can use to check before watching dog-centric projects. As you can see above, I had the chance to speak with The Last House's Wagner Moura and Greta Lee about Cassidy getting sick and dying. The latter actress is ready to hear from heartbroken fans, as she told me:

Honestly, these comments from the Morning Show star are comforting. We know that movies aren't real, but seeing Cassidy get sick without his medication and eventually be put down had me in tears when watching the new Netflix movie. So hearing that the dog actor was not only healthy but sometimes uncooperative is super heartening.

Greta Lee went on to speak more about Cassidy's death scene, and the juxtaposition between the emotions she brought as Riley and the real-life dog's behavior. She went on to say:

As I told Lee, anyone who has ever had a sick dog is likely going to be triggered by Cassidy's story, and watching the pooch get sick after running out of medication while trapped inside with the rest of the Delgados. Lee joking repeated my warning to "buckle up," although her stories about filming that sequence on set help to put things in perspective.

I also spoke to Wagner Maura about my emotional response to Cassidy's death in The Last House. He responded with:

Points were made. As a horror fan I've watched countless humans be maimed and killed on the big screen over the years. But seeing a sick dog eventually be put down put me through the emotional ringer. And I have to assume folks are going to sound off online once more eyes get on the new Netflix movie.

The Last House is streaming now on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. Hopefully dog lovers who stream it have tissues ready.

The new DC Universe is still in its infancy, with newish co-CEO James Gunn shaping the franchise with both movies and TV shows (streaming with an HBO Max subscription). It's been a bit of a bumpy road so far, with Superman working and Supergirl not so much. The next title hitting the small screen is Lanterns, starring Aaron Pierre and Kyle Chandler as John Stewart and Hal Jordan respectively, and even that hasn't been immune to backlash, which creator/producer Chris Mundy is very much aware of.

In fact, when Lanterns' first trailer was released, it was the subject of criticism online from fans who didn't think it had enough actual green or superpowers. Mundy previously defended the show against this first impression, and while speaking with SFX on CinemaBlend he spoke about creating something new for the passionate fanbase.

It sounds like it's been a tricky balance between creating something original for Lanterns and delivering on moments that hardcore DC fans are specifically looking out for. While folks might have judged the upcoming DC show early, those involved with the Green Lantern series seem steadfast about the work that is coming to our TV screens in August.

The footage we've gotten from Lanterns has been super limited so far, which could be the folks at DC trying to guard its secrets until the series is officially released. In the same interview Muny spoke about wanting to bring something original and unique to the Green Lantern Corps, and knowing the creative team is just holding the mantle for a while.

Classic comic book characters like Green Lantern have been around for decades, and various creators have been able to put their spin on it over the years. Lanterns is set up to be a crime drama like Chris Mundy's other projects Ozark and True Detective. But this time around he's got an intergalactic peacekeepers with Power Rings rather than typical police officers.

Lanterns is part of the first slate of DCU projects called Gods and Monsters, and has the potential to influence upcoming DC movies. It also seems like the show is going to be telling a very specific, contained story... at least in its first season. Mundy went on to speak more about the balance of creativity and expectations, telling SFX:

It's fascinating to read Chris Mundy's perspective, especially because we're so close to Lanterns making its debut on HBO. I personally can't wait to see the Green Lantern Corps. in live-action, following Nathan Fillion's role as Guy Gardner in Superman.

All will be revealed when Lanterns debuts on August 16th as part of the 2026 TV schedule. We'll just have to wait and see how DC fans react when we finally see this show in its entirety.

Cowboy Camp is not for the faint of heart, and it’s like a rite of passage for Yellowstone casts. Along with preparing them for the scenes involving horses and cowboying in the shows, it also helps the ensemble bond. That became clear when I spoke to Dutton Ranch’s Natalie Alyn Lind as she revealed one exercise from this training camp that left everyone “cheering and going crazy.”

Again, Cowboy Camp is intense, and it's different from show to show, as the Marshals’ cast has to learn different skills than Dutton Ranch’s ensemble. For the new actors on Rip and Beth's show, they trained for a week before they began filming. According to Lind, who plays Oreana Jackson, there’s “no better way to put yourself in a character’s mindset” than through this training.

It also really helped her ground herself in Yellowstone’s world. Along with that, it got the ensemble all excited about both the work and each other, as she told me:

While she didn’t specify which guys she was working with, I would guess it had to include actors like Jai Courtney (Rob-Will), Juan Pablo Raba (Joaquin), J.R. Villarreal (Azul) and Marc Menchaca (Zachariah), all of whom made their Yellowstone debuts in this spinoff that aired on the 2026 TV schedule. It’s possible Cole Hauser and Finn Little were there too; however, they had quite a bit of cowboying under their belts prior to this show, so I wouldn't bet on it.

Based on Natalie Alyn Lind’s comments, we do know she was the only woman in this training, meaning the other two actresses in the show’s regular cast, Annette Bening and Kelly Reilly, were not riding alongside her.

Anyway, to get back to the camp and what they did there, this egg exercise sounds like it really had the cast hyped. Lind told me her castmates would be constantly cheering her on as she did harder and harder things. Recalling what that felt like, the actress said:

Clearly, this makes Cowboy Camp sound like something out of her comfort zone, but she survived. As Lind also said, it prepared her for her part in a great way, and while it sounds a bit overwhelming to have all the guys cheering for you, she did it. And it kind of sounds like she crushed it.

All this hard work has paid off big time, too. Dutton Ranch has been renewed for Season 2, and almost everyone will be back in the saddle quite soon. Personally, I’m almost as excited to hear more training and BTS stories as I am to see the show itself. However, for now, you can see this ensemble roping and riding by streaming the Yellowstone spinoff with a Paramount+ subscription.

Disney and nostalgia go hand in hand for me. I remember going to Disneyland as a little kid, standing at the bottom of Splash Mountain, staring up at its massive drop and thinking it was the biggest fall any human could ever go down. I'm far from alone in having emotional memories tied to Disney parks, which is why every time Imagineers start tinkering with those core memories, I viscerally feel the tightrope they're walking between honoring what people love and creating something new.

Disney is no stranger to change. Splash Mountain became Tiana's Bayou Adventure. Pirates of the Caribbean added a new projection-mapped pirate with a... let's call it questionable approval rating. Recently, Rock 'n' Roller Coaster at Walt Disney World also got a full Muppet-ified makeover.

When I had the chance to talk with Imagineer David Brescia, who worked on the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster update, I had to ask how he balances fans' resistance to change with evolving a beloved attraction. He told me he and the team know they have to be "careful."

From my perspective, they nailed it. The heart of the original ride is still beating underneath Animal's drums. The queue is packed with Easter eggs paying homage to Aerosmith alongside a metric ton of Muppet deep cuts.

That balancing act isn't unique to just one attraction, though. I also spoke with one of the Imagineers behind the new Millennium Falcon: Smugglers Run adventure featuring The Mandalorian and Grogu. She said:

If they'd taken away the jump to hyperspace, I would've rioted myself. Thankfully, they didn't. That iconic moment is still there, and now you don't have to be a pilot to have a blast on the ride.

Change is inevitable, especially if you've been around Disney Parks long enough. Even attractions that once felt untouchable, like Carousel of Progress, are getting updates. But as that very catchy song reminds us, "There's a great big beautiful tomorrow shining at the end of every day." Disney has always been about looking ahead while remembering where it came from... though I really hope they don't change the song.

Spoilers ahead for Netflix's The Last House.

It's been a great summer for fans of scary movies, with titles like Obsession and Backrooms both crushing at the box office. Those with a Netflix subscription have just been treated to the release of Louis Leterrier's new science-fiction thriller The Last House, which stars The Morning Show's Greta Lee and Wagner Moura. And the latter spoke to CinemaBlend about the movie's ending, and what he thinks comes next for the Delgado family.

During The Last House's 110-minute runtime, we watch as the Delgado Family is mysteriously trapped in their home for years at a time. While it looks like the rain is somehow locking everyone inside, it later becomes clear that underwater creatures are actually responsible. The family eventually escapes and is spared after showing kindness to one of the monsters. As you can see above, I asked Moura what he thought happened to the Delgados after they got out of the house and began exploring the newly flooded world, and he told me:

I'm not going to lie, I couldn't help but think about sheltering in place during COVID while I was watching The Last House. Of course, the movie's central characters are in an even more precarious position, running out of food and hiding from the terrifying creatures that were right outside their (unopenable) door. But the Delgagos became a united front by fighting for survival, something that would no doubt influence them moving forward.

The Last House might be one of the best horror movies on Netflix, thanks to its unique and original story. The movie's time jump threw me for a loop, as did the happy ending where the Delgados connect with the creatures... and basically save the rest of mankind in the process.

The final moments of The Last House show a changed world, one that's been flooded thanks to years of rain. But Ruth's narration reveals that there were more people who survived, and that the creatures are out there somewhere below the ocean surface. Deciding to show empathy to one of the monsters seems like it lowkey ended the apocalypse, and I'd love a sequel or follow-up project that shows what happened to the Delgados after their terrifying affair was over.

The Last House is streaming now on Netflix as part of the 2026 movie release list. Fingers crossed we get a sequel one day to see if Moura was right about what happened to the Delgado Family.

Paramount’s Dungeons & Dragons movie wasn’t a box office win, but it was a blast of a movie from its talented filmmakers Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley. Three years later, their latest movie is here, and according to them, Deadpool star Ryan Reynolds had a lot to do with getting it off the ground.

CinemaBlend had the chance to talk to the writer/director duo at San Diego Comic -Con. There, we caught up with Goldstein and Daley about how their Apple TV movie Mayday, starring Reynolds and Kenneth Branagh, came to be. Per Daley:

Mayday has already been described as “Top Gun meets Misery” – since it follows a 1980s-era U.S. Air Force pilot who crashlands in the Russian wilderness. He then gets saved by an ex-KGB agent who’s got a thing for American culture, and they end up buddying up. As Daley shared with us, they weren’t sure the idea would be sellable on its own. But with Ryan Reynolds on board, they thought it might. As he added:

Daley and Goldstein have been known to turn what is expected out of their movies on their heads. They made Spider-Man: Homecoming a different kind of Marvel movie, Game Night a refreshing ensemble comedy and Dungeons & Dragons was an especially clever popcorn adventure. Mayday is no exception. The movie may look like an action-comedy on the face, but it’s actually a lot more heartwarming than one might expect. Reynolds and Branagh are a match out of left field, and that’s part of why them being in a two-hander might actually work so well.

I know when I saw it I thought it was going to go one direction, and ended up going in the other. And as far as Ryan Reynolds’ successful movie star career has gone, I found it to be a nice change of pace for the actor. As Daley added:

These are all really solid reference films, if you ask me. You can check out the Mayday trailer below:

Mayday is on the 2026 movie schedule for those with an Apple TV subscription. The movie will start streaming on September 4. Elsewhere, Goldstein and Daley are currently writing the next Star Trek film, they have written a Dungeons & Dragons sequel and are helming an action/thriller called Renegades.

While they might have left-field ideas, they always make them work in really exciting ways, and we can’t wait to continue to follow their career.

Everyone can't stop talking about Milo Manheim being cast as Flynn Rider in the live-action Tangled movie, lately. However, it's also created a problem...for Thanksgiving director Eli Roth specifically. That's because while Thanksgiving 2 is an upcoming horror movie we’ve been anticipating since Sony greenlit the sequel in 2023, we're still waiting for it. So, why have we been waiting three years? Well, CinemaBlend had the chance to get an answer from Eli Roth, and now it involves the Tangled remake.

We spoke to Roth at San Diego Comic Con in the lead-up to his latest slasher, Ice Cream Man, premiering on the 2026 movie schedule. However, we had to ask him about his fall-set slasher too. Here’s the latest on Thanksgiving 2 in his words:

Whoa, this is pretty wild when you think about it. Back in 2023, when Thanksgiving came out, many of the actors in the slasher were relatively unknown in Hollywood. But ever since, many of their careers have blown up in a big way.

Of course, Milo Manheim is actively filming the Disney remake right now in Spain, and it will reportedly last eight months. That really delays Thanksgiving 2!

Plus, as Roth listed out, the rest of theThanksgiving cast is doing very well too. Jalen Thomas Brooks, who played Bobby, was in one of the most viral new series of the year, Off Campus. Oh, and he’s in The Pitt as well. Nell Verlaque, who played Jessica, just starred in the shows American Classic and Overcompensating. Plus, Addison Rae, aka Gaby, had her first studio album, Addison, come out in 2025, which she toured for most of last year.

That’s a lot of busy schedules to keep track of, especially with one of said stars currently working on a very major blockbuster. But Eli Roth sounds like he’s committed to reuniting his original cast (or what’s left after John Carver’s bloody holiday ambush). As he added:

Honestly, it’s a good problem to have, because fans of the cast have only grown, and so will the Thanksgiving franchise. But it’s also causing the filmmaker to think about how he’s going to logistically film the movie. Eli Roth also said this about his now-viral Thanksgiving actors:

It definitely sounds like Thanksgiving 2 is going to happen, but exactly when has a question mark next to it. Hopefully, it can get off the ground quickly once Tangled and all these other projects are done filming. While we wait, check out Eli Roth’s latest slasher full of gore and creative kills, Ice Cream Man. It’s now playing in theaters.

Green Day has been one of the biggest bands in the world for over three decades now, but until recently, they had not received the music biopic treatment. That has changed with the upcoming release of Nimrods, which hits the 2026 movie schedule next weekend.

Ok, it’s not exactly a biopic; it’s a fictionalized telling of the early days of the East Bay punk band told through the eyes of a fictional band, The Analog Dogs, played by Mason Thames (who not only has movie called Nimrods this year, but one called Idiots, too), Kylr Coffman, and Ryan Foust (Mckenna Grace, Fred Armisen, Jenna Fischer, Angela Kinsey, Bobby Lee, and Sean Gunn all star as well). All three members of Green Day, who are no strangers to acting, also appear as themselves in the movie, and many of the stories in it are based on real events that the band went through on those early tours.

I spoke to Green Day and had to ask just how realistic the scenes on the road were, and the answer I got from Billie Joe Armstrong was somewhat surprising, but completely made sense.

Life On The Road Isn’t What A Lot Of People Think It’s Like

Everyone knows the glamorous side of being a rock star. The sex, drugs, and rock n’ roll part of it, to use the famous cliché. The reality is, especially early on in any band’s career, that the grind is very real. It’s endless miles on the road driving from gig to gig, sweating and sticking up cars with body odors (or worse). Any band, from the guys in the garage down the street from you to Green Day, goes through this rite of passage. That means that you don’t get to party, because it's more important to get to the next gig than it is to tie one on. And someone has to drive. Armstrong explained it to me as we talked:

In the movie, this is certainly true, as we see the band desperately trying to get from Kansas City to Los Angeles because they believe they have a gig opening for the legendary Green Day. There might be some parties (and a gig or two) on the way, but the goal is clear. Getting crunked up is far less important to these young musicians than making it to a potentially life-changing concert on time.

Of course, for many bands, once they do get that tour bus, as Armstrong mentions, they do get to indulge in all those ancillary things that so many people dream of when they envision life on the road as a member of a world-famous band. It’s easy to forget that even bands as big as Green Day started with pure hustle. The music is what drives the great bands, not the lifestyle. But the lifestyle is pretty f’ing fun too!

And don't worry, it's not just grinding and driving in Nimrods; the Analog Dogs have the time of the life as well.

Lacey Chabert is living the dream over at Hallmark, not only for the fact that she actually got to live at Disney World for a month while filming her upcoming Christmas movie, but because she’s been traveling the world for the new Hallmark+ series Paris Is Always a Good Idea. Things aren’t too bad for her character, either, as Chesea has embarked on a journey to reconnect with three of her past loves. I figured that couldn’t have made her co-star Scott Michael Foster all too pleased, so I decided to ask him how mad he was about having so many romantic rivals.

Paris Is Always a Good Idea is a book-to-screen adaptation of Jenn McKinlay’s novel in which Chelsea begrudgingly finds herself in Paris with her colleague Jason Knightly (Scott Michael Foster). Then, a sign from her late mother sends her jet-setting to Ireland, Spain and back to France in the name of potential love. What a disservice this does to Knightly, who should seemingly be well into a tried-and-true enemies-to-lovers story by now. And he probably would be, if not for those three meddling ex-boyfriends! So just how mad is he? Foster told me:

In the latest episode “Sebastian Revisited,” which hit the 2026 TV schedule on August 6, we do see a bit of warmth starting to brew between Chelsea and Knightly. That’s in spite of the fact that, as the title suggests, Chelsea is able to get in touch with her old photographer beau Sebastian — the second of her three “what ifs” from a decade earlier.

Most Hallmark leads like Lacey Chabert’s character would have, at most, two guys to choose between. But thanks to Paris Is Always a Good Idea’s six episodes, Chelsea’s got time to explore four different options — in some of the most romantic locations around the world, I might add. Where do I sign up?

Scott Michael Foster has a great attitude about it, too. He knows if Knightly wants to be the one with Chelsea at the end of it all, he’s got to prove why he’s the one who’s best for her and not her lovers from Ireland, France or Spain.

I’m excited to see how Knightly fares against the competition. For as much fun as I’m having with the love story, though, I was surprised by how much the premiere episode focused on grief. It turns out that’s an important part of Chelsea’s story, and it makes all the stakes that much higher on this quest across Europe.

The first three episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea are available to stream now on Hallmark+, with new episodes hitting the Hallmark schedule each Thursday.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode "Human Best Friend." Stream the episode with a Paramount+ subscription and read at your own risk!

The latest Star Trek: Strange New Worlds episode to hit the 2026 TV schedule features the most impressive feat I've seen in the franchise's modern era, especially after learning how much effort it took. That's right, while "Human Best Friend" was a goofy episode featuring the crew on shore leave, Rebecca Romijn told CinemaBlend that singing in Klingon was no vacation.

I spoke with Rebecca Romijn about the latest episode, in which we saw Una sing the late Bonnie Tyler's "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" entirely in Klingon. It wasn't dubbed or made up; Romijn actually learned the song in alien language, and as she explained, it was quite difficult:

I like to think this was Star Trek: Strange New Worlds apologizing for the Klingon boy band scene, but that's just my opinion. I do love, though I am not surprised, that the show ensured Romijn sang a translated version of the song accurately, especially since the setup for that scene likely took way longer than what we saw onscreen.

Filming has wrapped on Star Trek: Strange New Worlds, but even then, Rebecca Romijn said she'd like to commit that performance to memory. I confessed I'd love to see it become a party trick she performed at future Comic-Cons and fan appearances, and it seems like that's a possibility based on how she responded:

On the heels of a scary episode that had Kirk questioning his role as a father, I'm thrilled Star Trek: Strange New Worlds had the sense to give us something as light as "Human Best Friend." It definitely felt like the premise was "What if Star Trek was The Hangover," but that's not to say it was a bad thing.

Plus, it was another Ortegas-heavy episode, which fulfilled the promise of highlighting characters who will not be a part of Kirk's Enterprise. These are the types of episodes we'll appreciate should the spinoff that Strange New Worlds' showrunners are hoping for happen, as Erica, Una, and La'an will ultimately not be a part of that adventure. Hopefully, there will still be opportunities for them to appear as guest stars!

I guess I should first hope that there are plans for Star Trek television shows to continue, as San Diego Comic-Con came and went without any new show announcements to speak of. It's looking like Paramount Skydance is waiting to announce what's on the way for the franchise, or putting all its efforts into making sure a new movie for the franchise can finally hit theaters.

In the meantime, we still have more episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to get through, with new episodes airing on Thursdays on Paramount+. After Season 4 wraps, we can assume Season 5 is coming in 2027, but I guess we'll just have to wait and see!

Remember Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves? While the 2023 film may have flopped at the box office, it has found a solid second life by way of streaming over the past few years. Since its filmmakers, Jonathan Goldstein and John Francis Daley, have their follow-up on the 2026 movie schedule, I had to ask about a potential sequel. And I was surprised to find out that there’s already a script for it! So, what’s the hold up?

Goldstein and Daley’s newest movie is the Ryan Reynolds-led action comedy, Mayday, which will be streamable with an Apple TV subscription starting September 4. In between chatting with the pair of filmmakers about the movie at San Diego Comic-Con, Goldstein had this to say about Dungeons & Dragons 2:

Honor Among Thieves -- starring Chris Pine, Michelle Rodriguez and Hugh Grant -- may have been well liked by critics and audiences alike. But the truth of it is that it only made around $208 million worldwide against a reported production budget of $150 million. That’s certainly not enough money for Paramount to have made a profit. However, Goldstein and Daley were still inspired to write the next installment. Now, I can’t help but wonder about it.

While the pair's D&D movie didn’t do so well in theaters, the 2023 movie has since done well for itself on streaming services like Netflix and Paramount+. That same year, there was talk about a sequel, specifically in regard to figuring out “a way to make it for less”. Pine even suggested there was “a really good chance” they’d make another one in 2024. When I asked Goldstein why fans shouldn’t hold their breath for another, he elaborated with these words:

I guess we’ll have to wait and see if the already-written Dungeons & Dragons sequel ever gets a chance. In the meantime, Goldstein and Daley's Mayday trailer suggests its going to be a another fun film from this underrated duo. So far, it's been likened to Top Gun meets Misery. Check out the trailer below:

In addition to Mayday, the writer/directors talked to me about how they're currently writing their Star Trek movie for Paramount. It was also just announced (per THR), that they're producing a Bollywood-focused musical for the same studio. They also signed up to make another action thriller called Renegades.

Since Goldstein and Daley are so busy, I’m not sure where a D&D sequel would even in. But, given that I now know the sequel exists on the page, I’m not giving up hope. Check out Dungeons & Dragons: Honor Among Thieves now using a Paramount+ subscription.

Mason Thames was all over last year’s movie schedule with the live-action How To Train Your Dragon, the Black Phone sequel and Regretting You with Mckenna Grace. Now, he’s back with two 2026 movie releases in August alone: Nimrods and Idiots. No, they are not the same movie even though the titles are synonyms of each other. Still, we had to ask Thames about how the funny coincidence happened.

When CinemaBlend had the chance to catch up with 19-year-old rising movie star Mason Thames during San Diego Comic-Con, we talked about his upcoming movies. Here’s what he told us about having the uniquely named Nimrods and Idiots out this month:

It's really funny how the universe makes some things happen, and that's certainly true when it comes to these movie releases. Honestly, I can understand Thames believing the title changes were part of a prank, especially given the April Fools timing.

Nimrods is a comedy about two high schoolers who drive cross-country to go to a Green Day show. They do so after they fall for a prank that the band wants them to open for them in Los Angeles. And Idiots is about two people who are forced to work together to transport a well-off but troubled teen to rehab. How funny is that? Check out the posters below:

As alluded to, while Mason Thames was making these movies, they both had different titles. Nimrods was originally New Year’s Rev – since the events of the movie take place leading up to New Year’s Eve. Meanwhile, Idiots was set to be called Shitheads. Here’s what Nimrods’ writer/director Lee Kirk said to us regarding the title change:

As far as Idiots goes, I'd imagine the marketing team thought the movie might be less marketable with a curse word in the title. There’s another thread that connects them, too. In Nimrods, Thames re-teams with Grace, his reported girlfriend after Regretting You. And, on Idiots, he’s starring again with Dave Franco… also from Regretting You. During the interview, Thames' Nimrods director joked that his next movie, which is a John Wick spinoff, is going to be called Dumbass.

Regardless of movie titles, it's great to see Thames getting to co-star with familiar actors, and for two fun roles. Nimrods is first, as it hits theaters on August 14. It's based on a story by the iconic band Green Day, along with Kirk, inspired by the “American Idiot” band’s early life on the road. As for Idiots, it'll be out a couple weeks later on August 28. I know I can’t wait to take in a double featuring these two new comedies from Thames.

We know Jack Reacher will appear on Neagley when the spinoff premieres on the 2026 TV schedule. However, that got me wondering: Will we ever see Neagley’s characters on Reacher? Well, thankfully, we got to ask the cast of this new show that question.

When Neagley premieres, not only will we get to see Maria Sten’s titular character back in action, we’ll also get to see her with a whole new cast of characters. Notably, this show will be different than Reacher, because it will follow the same set of people if it gets to go on (which could make it a bit deeper than the flagship series). So, when CinemaBlend’s Sarah El-Mahmoud asked Greyston Holt about the potential for crossover during an interview at San Diego Comic-Con, he made a good point about how this new project stands on its own:

In Neagley, Holt plays Detective Hudson Riley. He’ll work closely with the titular character, and I’m really looking forward to seeing their dynamic. So, obviously, I’d also like to see how he fits into the greater world of Reacher.

Meanwhile, Jasper Jones will play Keno in Neagley. We don’t know much about his character yet. However, we do know he’d be down to crossover with Reacher, as he told us at Comic-Con:

I also think it would be fun to see the creative teams flex their muscles a bit to get a crossover going. While we’ve seen Neagley a lot on Reacher, and we know Alan Ritchson’s character will appear in the new spinoff, it’d be interesting to see how Neagley’s other stars interact with the different world of Jack Reacher. So, in the words of Jasper Jones:

I see Holt’s point about the two shows being different worlds, and I get that Reacher’s whole thing is that it bounces around and features a new cast with every book-to-screen adaptation of Lee Child’s novels.

However, I still think it’d be entertaining to see Hudson Riley or Keno pop up in the world Alan Ritchson’s character runs. If Neagley does go on for multiple seasons, and these two guys become vital characters in her world, obviously, I think it’d be awesome to see how they fare over on the show that started it all.

For now, however, they’ll be sticking to Neagley. But have no fear, you’ll still get some crossover because Alan Ritchson is set to appear in the spinoff. So, make sure you have your Amazon Prime subscription ready, because Reacher will begin airing Season 4 on August 12, and it will be followed by Neagley’s series premiere on September 16.

Big Brother played up Kamu Kirk's comments that Jason De Puy was his "Zesty Bestie," but the latter exclusively revealed to CinemaBlend that he was never cool with that nickname. The drag queen was kind enough to spill some additional tea following his memorable tea party on the 2026 TV schedule, and he gave his honest thoughts about Kamu and some of his other allies.

I spoke to Jason the following morning after his eviction, and we got into his big moments with Kamu, including the nickname he made it clear he wasn't a fan of. The evicted Houseguest, whose nickname from Kamu stemmed from the fact that he's an openly gay drag queen, said "Zesty Bestie" was not a nickname they collaborated on and was inflammatory:

Jason says the Week 3 HOH used it as if they had a friendship outside of the game, but that was never the case. Those watching Big Brother online live feeds with a Paramount+ subscription largely reported the same and shared the sentiment that Kamu's use of the name felt like a microaggression.

This led to further tension between the two, especially after Kamu patted him on the back following the conclusion of the BB Blockbuster. Jason was heard saying, "Don't touch me" to him as he walked to his seat, and now it's clear why he wasn't feeling very sportsmanlike.

As for whether there was a bridge he could mend with Kamu, or others he had run-ins with during Big Brother, Jason had this to say:

Jason alleged that Kamu, Week 4 HOH Haley Thogmartin, and Chuk Anyanwu made it clear they weren't fans of drag queens or possibly a gay lifestyle. In his eyes, there's no need to try and repair that relationship, though he did say he'd be fine with Angela Murray and other Houseguests he got into it with, like Rick Devens.

The comments come as the internet does a deep dive into Kamu's social media, which has revealed a history of problematic posts ranging from offensive comments tied to racial injustice and homophobic talking points. It's disappointing Jason might've been a victim of unfair treatment in the Big Brother house due to his sexuality, so here's hoping those moves were solely done as part of the game.

While his time in the house only lasted three weeks, Jason left a mark that may end up being one of the highlights of the season. From the classic move of banging pots and pans to irritate to taking on Angela and going toe-to-toe in a house meeting showdown, there's no denying his presence will be missed in the Big Brother house.

Big Brother continues on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET. The game is rolling on as conversation outside the house continues about this season, and I can't wait to see what happens next.

Much like Yellowstone, Dutton Ranch was a smash hit on the 2026 TV schedule. The return of Rip and Beth was met with open arms, and it introduced us to a whole new cast of characters. Now, the wait is on for Season 2, so I’m flashing back to this crew’s first days on set, and Natalie Alyn Lind’s comments about why meeting Kelly Reilly and Cole Hauser for the first time was trippy.

Natalie Alyn Lind, who plays Oreana Jackson, was one of many new additions to an ensemble that was led by Yellowstone’s Kelly Reilly, Cole Hauser and Finn Little. So, when I interviewed her, I asked what it was like to meet the stars who were returning to play such beloved and established characters. Here’s what she had to say about them:

“Jarring” or trippy would 100% be the words I’d use if I were walking onto a set for a show about the Dutton family for the first time. Hauser and Reilly had been playing Rip and Beth for five seasons before doing this spinoff, so Lind knew she was not entering a new world, and as a fan of Yellowstone, that was a wild experience.

However, Reilly and Hauser welcomed the Oreana actress with open arms, and she said she quickly became “so comfortable” around them.

Overall, this experience felt a whole lot like the first day of school. So, there were jitters and nerves at first. However, once they got into the work, all those nerves went away, as Natalie Alyn Lind explained:

Well, that sounds lovely. While the experience was trippy, especially since the actress was a fan of Yellowstone going in, her worries quickly subsided, and she was able to easily work alongside her co-stars.

Of course, not everything was easy on Dutton Ranch. With a showrunner change and comments from Ed Harris about his frustrations and Hauser and Reilly about how hard making the Yellowstone spinoff was, it was no walk in the park to get this project made.

However, the cast is thrilled about Season 2, and Cole Hauser made it clear that he believes the “future is bright” for Dutton Ranch. Plus, with those first-day jitters out of the way and a whole season of work under their belts, I’d imagine the new cast members, including Lind, cannot wait to return too.

We’ll have to wait a bit, though, for all that. So, in the meantime, you can go back and watch Oreana’s first interactions with Rip and Beth by streaming Dutton Ranch with a Paramount+ subscription.

Spoiler alert! This story discusses the first episode of Paris Is Always a Good Idea, which premiered July 30 on the 2026 TV schedule and can be streamed exclusively on Hallmark+.

Lacey Chabert’s newest project on the Hallmark calendar, Paris Is Always a Good Idea, premiered Thursday, promising a fabulous love story, as her character Chelsea Martin revisits old boyfriends around the world a decade after her summer abroad. I was more than ready to dive into all the amazing globetrotting, so it surprised me when the entire premiere episode of the book-to-screen adaptation revolved not around love, but rather Chelsea’s grief over her mother's death. Henry Czerny spoke with CinemaBlend about why that loss is so important to this story.

Henry Czerny plays Chelsea’s father Glenn Martin, who — along with her sister Annabelle (Rebecca Hanssen) — accompanies his daughter on a work trip to Paris in hopes of getting closure in the city where he met his late wife. One reason Paris Is Always a Good Idea works better as a series than a movie is because it allows that time for the family’s grief to be explored. I asked Czerny what made that such a vital plotline in a series about love, and he said:

The long-lasting effects of losing a loved one are explored in Paris Is Always a Good Idea — in both the Hallmark series and Jenn McKinlay’s novel — as Chelsea’s mother passed away 10 years before we meet the Martins. The streaming adaptation, however, alters the story a tad to make Christine (Anna Wilson-Jones) a significant character in the premiere.

It’s revealed that Christine left her family with a request to travel to Paris after her death, and she provided an itinerary (complete with prerecorded messages) of places she thought would be meaningful to Glenn, Chelsea and Annabelle. Chelsea had never felt ready to let her mother go, so a decade passed before her work trip in the City of Lights presented the opportunity to honor the itinerary.

The fact that an entire episode was dedicated to Chelsea’s mother — the impetus behind her journey to seek out three former lovers — speaks to Henry Czerny’s point. Death may be an inevitability of life, but losing someone doesn’t mean you can’t still find happiness. I look forward to seeing how this important message continues through the series.

The first two episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea are available to stream now on Hallmark+, with new episodes dropping weekly on Thursdays through August.

After Zach Cregger’s Weapons was one of our favorite movies of 2025 and one of this year’s Oscar winners, any comparison might be considered a compliment. Enter Eli Roth’s Ice Cream Man. Sure, it has killer children who become hypnotized by an unsuspecting villain, but it’s not only been in the works for longer, it’s a completely different treat.

CinemaBlend had the pleasure of talking to the filmmaker behind the Thanksgiving trailer-turned-movie during San Diego Comic-Con. In our Eli Roth interview, which can be viewed in full on YouTube, he broke down his relationship with Ice Cream Man being called things like “Weapons with sprinkles." In Roth’s words:

Funnily enough, the story of Ice Cream Man starts back in the summer of 2003. When Roth heard the sound of an ice cream truck, it led the filmmaker to think dark thoughts about a messed up movie concept. What if the Ice Cream Man was like a Pied Piper that inspired kids to become serial killers?

He wrote the first draft of the script back then, but the idea about killer children didn’t get a financing deal right away. Weapons might have been finished with production before Ice Cream Man, but when he heard about it, he steered clear until he made his movie. As he continued:

As someone who’s seen both movies, I can agree. Sure, there are some loose parallels between them, but Ice Cream Man plays out as if Weapons' final scene was the whole movie, and is even bloodier!

As Roth also added, every movie is inspired by something. Here’s more about his inspirations for Ice Cream Man:

Hey, and why not embrace it? Weapons was the horror success story of last summer, and fans of that film could be craving more scary movies starring children. Ice Cream Man has a mysterious truck luring the children of a suburb to have a cold treat. Usually that’s harmless, but this ice cream man’s inventory makes kids homicidal towards any adults in their path.

If you’re wondering how Roth was able to cast a classroom of children in gory roles, he told us it was “actually quite simple.” The parents of the kids were horror fans themselves who understood his vision. Oh, and the child actors had “the time of their lives” being covered in phony guts and getting sticky with fake blood. As Roth added:

Ice Cream Man is aptly scheduled among upcoming horror movies to come out in the dead of summer, next Friday, August 7.

SPOILERS are ahead for Lucky through Episode 4 “Too Close To See It.” You can stream the series with an Apple TV subscription.

It’s been a blast to watch Anya Taylor-Joy get into a lot of trouble on Lucky, the latest book-to-screen adaptation from Hello Sunshine. But, wow, did the midseason episode take things in a completely new direction! Now, I need to do a deep dive and share what I learned from the show’s leads when I talked to them about the episode.

Let’s Talk About That Lucky Twist

So, the big thing we learn in Episode 4 is that Lucky’s husband Cary is very much alive...but there's more to it. He apparently had a different reason for leaving her high and dry than I expected.

According to him, he actually thought he was protecting her by leaving with the money. He had initially planned to give it back to his mother, but when he arrived at the spot to meet her, he had a change of heart and decided to take the $10 million. Regarding Lucky, he apparently had faith that she would find him unscathed and his mom would never try to come after her. Come on, dude!

In Episode 1, I thought Cary was just a horrible husband in the classically selfish “I want the money for myself way”. But as it turns out, he’s just really not very bright. If we are to believe his story wasn’t completely nonsense, he must have really needed to lean on Lucky all these years, because what a horrible, horrible plan! But then the whole episode ended with Cary’s death, and I’m just beside myself about the whole reunion. Poor girl.

What Anya Taylor-Joy And Drew Starkey Told Me About It

When Lucky and Cary reunite in Episode 4, things instantly get quite tense in that beach house. Here’s what Drew Starkey had to say about the reveal in our interview:

He was rather nice to his character, don’t you think? I can imagine their scenes were interesting to film, especially since we barely see much of the couple prior to the episode. As Taylor-Joy added about her first TV show since Queen’s Gambit:

They did an incredible job of making it all believable, but what a shocking episode. Where will things go from here? We’ll have to wait and see as Lucky continues to drop new episodes on the 2026 TV schedule on Wednesdays. You can also look forward to seeing Anya Taylor-Joy in Dune: Part 3 this December and in the upcoming Lord of the Rings movie coming next year.

Anytime comic book cinema veers more into horror than action, my eyeballs are perked. So it’s a good thing I don’t have to worry about my amorphous skin trying to close up over my eye sockets, and can freely enjoy the visual monstrosity at the heart of James Watkins’ Clayface. The upcoming horror movie has held my rapt attention ever since Mike Flanagan was revealed as the initial screenwriter, and the first full-length trailer delivers on the heightened tension in spades.

Back when the first-look teaser was released, it brought to mind an absolute classic body-horror movie that come up nearly as much as I think it deserves to. So when CinemaBlend spoke with Clayface’s director at San Diego Comic-Con, I made sure our intrepid Jeff McCobb asked him to namecheck any potentially more obscure influences on his upcoming DCU film outside of David Cronenberg’s filmography. To my absolute glee, he responded with:

Thank you, James Watkins! Eyes Without a Face is exactly the movie that I was hoping he would bring up. Georges Franju's 1960 feature, based on Jean Redon's 1959 novel, has indeed become one of the most revered French horror films of an era, and has influenced untold numbers of movies over the years. But it doesn't exactly come up nearly as often as Psycho or Peeping Tom or Roger Corman's various efforts from that and surrounding years. Maybe I'm just talking to the wrong people...

The comparison points aren't too wildly out there to put together. Eyes Without a Face centers on a plastic surgeon who will essentially do whatever it takes to perform a succesful face transplant for his beloved daughter after a car crash left her with a disfigured face. Clayface's name obviously belies just how much of his body is affected by those injections that Naomi Ackie's character gives him. (To be fair, she thinks she's helping....I assume.)

James Watkins may have sent me to cloud nine with that answer, but he wasn't done talking or anything. He continued talking about influences, saying:

To that end, the classic Universal Horror movies were all about changes made to the human body, both before and after death, from Frankenstein to Dracula to The Invisible Man and The Mummy and the rest, some of our most enduring scary stories are all about body horror, even when there isn't tons of bloody gore involved.

DC's Jim Lee welcomed James Watkins and Clayface star Tom Rhys Harries to his SDCC panel, where the comic legend shared his own highly positive opinions after having watched the movie in its entirety. So one can only hope that means good things for the future of DC horror.

As far as Watkins' own future with DC in any genre, that's a topic the director doesn't seem to have the time to sit around and think about, since Clayface still has a ways to go before its 2026 release on October 23. Here's what he told us when we asked about what might be next:

Halloween can't come soon enough this year, though I'm already hoping to see some branded Clayface costumes at Spirit Halloween. I need a 15-foot-long inflatable arm hammer, dangit.

While waiting for Clayface to hit theaters, Eyes Without a Face is available to stream via HBO Max subscription, and is also streaming on Tubi and Pluto. And while you're on Tubi, you might as well also stream Antonio Banderas-starring The Skin I Live In.

It’s been over 60 years since Spider-Man first swung onto the pages of The Amazing Fantasy, before launching into his own solo series. From there, the hero – created by Stan Lee and Steve Ditko – became a global phenomenon and, as Spider-Man: Brand New Day's arrival on the 2026 movie schedule proves, that hype is alive and well. That film is set to thrust Peter Parker into a fresh – and somewhat dour – chapter and, given that, I can’t help but think about Lee’s reasoning as to why fans can “relate” to Parker.

Following the events of 2021’s Spider-Man: No Way Home, Peter Parker has been forgotten by his friends and loved ones, which was a choice he made to save the multiverse from destruction. Brand New Day sees the character diving head first into his responsibilities as the friendly neighborhood hero, and that isolation seems to be taking a toll on him. It goes without saying that historically, Parker’s life has rarely (if ever) been perfect. The late Lee believed audiences connected with those hardships:

Let’s face it, Parker is far from a billionaire industrialist like Tony Stark or a powerful Norse god who dwells in Asgard like Thor. Peter is indeed the “everyman” as Lee previously shared with SFX Magazine on CinemaBlend as part of a 60th anniversary piece. While it’s definitely tough to see the Queens native deal with issues like unemployment and heartbreak, it’s also endearing and can even make readers look at their own circumstances through a different lens. Veteran comic book writer Danny Fingeroth also added more great points:

Based on the Brand New Day trailers, Peter declares himself Spider-Man out of sheer nobility but at the expense of his personal life. The early clips suggest that he’s pretty much the wall-crawler most of the time. The actor who plays the Marvel Cinematic Universe’s version of the character, Tom Holland, even admitted to Peter “actively ignoring” advice from Andrew Garfield’s Parker about asking for help when it’s needed. It’s sad to think of Peter being that way but, again, it all wraps back around to what makes him relatable.

It would seem that director Destin Daniel Cretton and Chris McKenna & Erik Sommers succeeded with that approach, based on the positive Brand New Day reviews. Personally, I’d like to think that Stan Lee and Steve Ditko would be proud that their character is still thriving and that the creatives handling Spidey in the various mediums are still maintaining the core aspects that make him lovable. That continued dedication to the source material is, in my humble opinion, truly spectacular, sensational and amazing. Nuff said.

Check out Spider-Man: Brand New Day, which opens in theaters on July 31. To prepare for it, check out the first three installments in the franchise by streaming them with a Disney+ subscription.

Brad Bird has easily made some of my favorite movies. From being behind a handful of childhood favorites like The Iron Giant, The Incredibles and Ratatouille to helming arguably the best Mission: Impossible movie, Ghost Protocol. But it’s been a good decade since we’ve seen a truly original idea from the writer/director. Thankfully, his longtime animated passion project Ray Gunn is officially on the 2026 movie schedule. However, as he told us, the road to getting big and bold ideas on the screen isn’t the same as it used to be.

Thirty-something years ago, Bird wrote the script for Ray Gunn, a neo-noir detective flick set in a utopian future. It wasn’t until a few years ago that we heard it was getting off the ground with Skydance Animation. Now, the movie, which looks incredibly imaginative and straight-up cool, is coming to those with a Netflix subscription. When I spoke with Bird hours before he took to San Diego Comic Con’s Hall H stage to talk about his “Cinematic Journey” across three decades, he said there's a distinct reason why he took the movie to the streaming studio. As he shared:

On Ray Gunn, Bird re-teamed with John Lasseter (formerly of Pixar) and David Ellison (of Ghost Protocol). However, it's not easy these days to pitch a brand new idea. Netflix, which made my favorite animated feature of last year in KPop Demon Hunters, was ready to support Bird’s Ray Gunn. He wrote it in the 1990s before it was shelved at Warner Bros. for over 25 years. Then he decided to go back to the project, take it to Skydance Animation, and then Netflix. As Bird continued during our interview:

During Brad Bird’s SDCC panel, fans like me had the chance to see the first seven minutes of Ray Gunn. And it’s truly hard to believe this idea was just lying around somewhere collecting dust for so long. I watched in awe of the gorgeous, yet lived-in city of Metropia where our titular character, Ray Gunn (Sam Rockwell), is trying to solve a case with an alien colleague Eyera (Tom Waits). Here’s a look:

There’s a hard-boiled quality to it that makes me happy it's not among upcoming Disney movies – though Bird is making Incredibles 3 with Pixar right now, too. And yet, it’s not completely grim, by any means. This is especially evident in a scene where Ray Gunn immediately tries to save the alien he just raided the office of. Brad Bird reflected further on Hollywood with these words:

It’s true. Some of the best movies started with a movie studio or producer taking a risk. Finishing his thought on the matter, Bird said:

And I cannot wait to see Brad Bird’s Ray Gunn on Netflix when it comes out on December 18. The filmmaker has made so many great films across his career, and it’s great to hear he found the right match with this film – even in a landscape where it’s increasingly hard to get an original idea off the page.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is a behemoth franchise, one that consistently treats the fandom to new content in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. While there are plenty of upcoming Marvel movies to look forward to, the hype surrounding Avengers: Doomsday is on another level entirely. And Falcon actor Danny Ramirez spoke to CinemaBlend about what it was like working with legends like Sir Ian McKellen and Sir Patrick Stewart on the forthcoming blockbuster.

What we know about Avengers: Doomsday is limited, but fans who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order are hyped about the various MCU heroes crossing over with the OG stars of the X-Men movies. Ramirez spoke to CinemaBlend at San Diego Comic-Con about that title, and spoke about filming with legends like Stewart and McKellen. He told us:

Honestly, this makes a ton of sense. Both Patrick Stewart and Ian McKellen are legendary actors, who have had long, celebrated careers on both screen and stage. Working with those icons is a dream for many actors, and Danny Ramirez clearly was thrilled to be sharing the screen with them in Avengers: Doomsday. And it sounds like he was all ears in case the X-Men stars (and besties) were ready to drop any advice or tidbits on set.

Later in his same conversation with CinemaBlend, Ramirez went on to share what he learned from working with the great Patrick Stewart. In the Top Gun: Maverick actor's words:

Both Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart definitely have gravitas, and I love hearing how Danny Ramirez even learned from them outside of the Doomsday set. Namely by watching videos from the '80s where they broke down how to properly perform Shakespeare. They've both got lots of experience with The Bard's catalogue of plays, and clearly the videos are still helpful to this day.

During our same conversation with the Last Of Us actor, CinemaBlend's Jeff McCob asked why he thinks A-listers from the Doomsday cast continue to sign up for these types of blockbusters. He responded with:

Fandoms annually travel to San Diego Comic-Con, to cosplay, see panels, and be in the same room as their favorite stars. And it sounds like for Danny Ramirez and other Marvel actors, the love from fans is a big reason why they continue to come back to the superhero genre.

Avengers: Doomsday will hit theaters on December 18th as part of the 2026 movie release list. We'll just have to wait and see how Falcon interacts with the likes of Magneto and Professor X.

Warning! The following contains spoilers for the latest batch of episodes for King of the Hill. Stream them with a Hulu subscription, and read at your own risk!

King of the Hill's ongoing affair between Nancy Gribble and John Redcorn was put on pause in the latest episodes, and there's a legitimate question of whether it may be over for good. The voice actor for Redcorn, Jonathan Joss, tragically passed away shortly after recording, so CinemaBlend wanted to know whether this marked the end of his character's run on the series.

Showrunner Saladin Patterson spoke to CinemaBlend about the big reveal and how Nancy decided to prioritize her marriage with Dale and their relationship after her decades-long affair was exposed to her minister. While it may seem like the series wrote off John Redcorn because of his death, Patterson confirmed that it was already a part of the script and had nothing to do with the voice actor's passing:

King of the Hill has, unfortunately, had to deal with death a lot amongst its voice cast. Johnny Hardwick, the original voice of Dale Gribble, died in the midst of recording for the revival and was replaced by Toby Huss.

Then there's Lucky and Luanne, who were both voiced by actress Brittany Murphy and singer Tom Petty. Both had died before the idea for a revival came around, and thus far, were written out of the series. Fans would love to see them return, but thus far, that doesn't seem to be on the table. I would say the same is true for John Redcorn, but Patterson admitted he and the writers don't know if he'll return yet:

As a fan of King of the Hill, I can see the problem. The idea of Nancy and Dale having a faithful marriage is intriguing, and I do wonder what could've led to her long affair in the first place. Outside of the cheating, she's always been a good wife to him, and loves him in her own way, but would removing that element change things?

On the other side of the coin, I think King of the Hill fans have long wanted to see the payoff of the fact that Joseph is clearly not Dale's biological son. The revival has already played on this joke a bit, with Joseph lamenting the struggles of being a white man, and Bobby needing to subtly tell others not to address the fact that he's not caucasian.

King of the Hill is a mix of comedy and drama, so I guess it would come down to whether Joseph learning John Redcorn is his real father would open the door to some interesting and funny storylines. Unfortunately, the new series has way fewer episodes to fill a season than it did back in the day. Characters like Joseph aren't ignored, but they're also not given the spotlight they once had. We can only wait and see what happens, and see if the story finds a way to bring back John Redcorn with a new voice actor.

King of the Hill's latest revival seasons are available to stream over on Hulu. The series is already renewed for the next couple of seasons, so those holding back on watching needn't fear it going away anytime soon.

Minor spoilers for The Odyssey lie ahead.

As general audiences and critics heap praise on The Odyssey, something that’s been noted quite often is just how practically made the film is. Writer/director Christopher Nolan is known for shying away from soundstages and visual effects whenever possible, and he certainly commits that principle to heart with his 2026 movie release. The cast (and crew) really went all in as a result of that and even performed some serious stunts. And, as CinemaBlend learned, that included drowning scenes.

Much of The Odyssey takes place in and around large bodies of water, especially since the film heavily centers around Odysseus and his men’s attempt to return to the island of Ithaca. Cast member Himesh Patel (who plays Eurylochus) recently spoke with us about having to act like he was drowning for one particularly intense scene of the film. When asked if acting out drowning is essentially just drowning, Patel agreed with that summation and added the following thoughts:

Having to perform such a wild moment seems daunting enough, but that’s only the half of it. When our own Hannah Saulic asked if Patel trained before performing that particular stunt, he shared an honest answer that also delighted co-star John Leguizamo (who plays Eumaeus):

• Patel: [George’s] like, ‘You'll be fine. We're not going to let you drown.’ But there is no alternative. You just got to sort of look like you're drowning and flail around.
• Leguizamo: While you're drowning.
• Patel: Yeah, while you're drowning.

Even with safety measures in place, I still would’ve been anxious about performing that drowning scene. To the stunt team’s credit, though, the scene is incredibly convincing, and I was stressed out while watching it. Check out Himesh Patel discussing the topic in the Instagram video below:

Many of Odyssey’s stars were put in the position to step out of their comfort zones while shooting Nolan’s ambitious film. Leading man Matt Damon talked about being “wet” and “cold” during portions of the shoot, and he and Nolan also recalled shooting the Cyclops scene in a truly “dank” cave. At one point, Charlize Theron also acted through massive winds that got up to 30 to 40 miles per hour. Even while facing the elements, though, many of the stars have talked about feeling excited and grateful to be part of the movie.

I’d say their efforts weren’t in vain either, considering how The Odyssey has rocked the box office and earned considerable buzz following history-based nitpicks and further Internet-based backlash. Given the drowning scenes, battle sequences and more, it’s probably safe to assume Himesh Patel and his co-stars won’t soon forget their time making this movie. On that note, see the historical epic for yourself, as it’s currently playing in theaters nationwide.

The Marvel Cinematic Universe is known for constantly treating fans to new projects, both in theaters and streaming with a Disney+ subscription. But folks who spent years watching the Marvel movies in order know that some franchises are fan favorites, chief among them being Ryan Coogler's Black Panther. And aside from the thrilling news of David Jonsson's casting as T'Challa's son, Winston Duke spoke to CinemaBlend about what to expect from Black Panther's threequel.

Last weekend was San Diego Comic-Con, and plenty of thrilling news was shared about upcoming Marvel movies. Fans were hyped about getting an update about Black Panther 3, and M'Baku actor Winston Duke shared a vague tease with CinemaBlend at Comic-Con about what Coogler is bringing to the table with the third movie. In his words:

Well, I'm interested. While the Us actor was careful not to actually reveal anything about the contents of Black Panther 3, it sounds like Ryan Coogler is hoping to create a very specific conversation with audiences about the movie's contents. And now I'm doubly excited about what the Oscar-winning Sinners filmmaker has up his sleeve for his next adventure in Wakanda.

Folks who have been watching the first two Black Panther movies may recognize that the filmmaker had very specific stories in mind with the superhero flicks. The first movie had themes of African diaspora generational trauma, specifically in the conflict between T'Challa and Killmonger. As for Wakanda Forever, that was a meditation on grief inspired by Chadwick Boseman's death IRL.

You can see some of CinemaBlend's conversation with Winston Duke below, where he spoke about what Coogler is aiming for this time around.

Given Marvel's tight security, it shouldn't be a surprise fans that Duke and the rest of the cast and crew are keeping tight-lipped about the mysterious contents of Black Panther's threequel. And since the highly anticipated blockbuster isn't expected to hit theaters until 2028, we should probably expect to be in the dark for the foreseeable future. Luckily fans have faith in Ryan Coogler, which should help buoy anticipation.

Black Panther 3 is currently expected to hit theaters on December 15th, 2028. Since it's not on the 2026 movie release list or even the next year's we're going to have to be patient. In the meantime, the first two movies are streaming over on Disney+.

Actor Nathan Fillion has been working consistently for decades now, and has starred in a number of beloved projects. One of the best Fillion TV shows is definitely his current gig on The Rookie, which is streaming with a Disney+ subscription. He also famously guest starred on Buffy the Vampier Slayer back in the day, and it turns out that gig is why he won't do his own stunts anymore.

Buffy is one of the best supernatural teen dramas of all time, and has remained a cult classic in the decades since its 2003 series finale aired. Nathan Fillion played the villainous Caleb in the last five episodes of the show. And during The Rookie's panel at San Diego Comic-Con (which was attended by CinemaBlend), Fillion revealed that an injury on Buffy led him to rethink how he approaches stunt work. In the 55 year-old actor's words:

Ouch. It sounds like Fillion has continued to feel the effects of his Buffy the Vampire Slayer tenure over two decades later. One kick in the knee was all it took to alter his body forever, and change the way he approached action on future titles. Hey, stunt doubles are on sets for a reason.

As a hardcore Buffy fan (who is still mourning the scrapped reboot New Sunnydale), I have to admit I want more information about Nathan Fillion's injury. Namely who kicked him and what fight scene was being filmed when it went down. Give us more, Mr. Caleb!

You can see Fillion recount this story live on stage at Comic-Con below, alongside other members of The Rookie's cast.

Luckily this knee injury didn't hold back the actor's career at all. He's a frequent collaborator for both Joss Whedon and James Gunn, and The Rookie has already aired eight seasons (and is currently filming the ninth installment). Although it seems clear now that whenever we see Nathan Fillion doing any stunt work on the big or silver screen that he lets professionals do the heavy lifting. Can you blame him?

Fillion name-dropped Tom Cruise, who is known for life-risking stunt work that he continues to do on projects like the Mission: Impossible and Top Gun franchises. But that 64 year-old A-lister is the exception rather than the rule. After all, stunt doubles exist for a reason.

Buffy the Vampire Slayer is streaming now on Hulu, and The Rookie will return for Season 9 this fall as part of the 2026 TV schedule. Now excuse me as I ice my knee thanks to vicarious pain I'm feeling on Nathan Fillion's behalf.

As you might expect from someone who is considered the queen of Hallmark, Lacey Chabert seems to stay busy. She’s already released one movie on the 2026 TV schedule (Lost in Paradise, which has amusing similarities to a Rachel McAdams horror movie), and we’re already looking forward to her Disney World collab coming to the Countdown to Christmas. Before that, though, Chabert is starring in the book-to-screen adaptation of Paris Is Always a Good Idea, a new series coming to Hallmark+, and she told me why this title works better as a show.

Lacey Chabert is headed to Paris for the series that debuts Thursday, July 30. Paris Is Always a Good Idea sees Chelsea (Chabert) reconnecting with three ex-boyfriends to rediscover herself after her mom’s death. The only problem? She’s also in France for work, and she’s been teamed up with her office enemy Knightly (Scott Michael Foster). Chabert and Foster spoke with CinemaBlend ahead of the premiere, and while she defended Hallmark’s movie format, this story really needed six episodes to unfold. Chabert said:

Hallmark really has perfected its movie formula, but with Paris Is Always a Good Idea exploring Chelsea’s relationships in amazing places like Ireland, France and Spain, that would be a lot to squeeze into one of the network’s 2-hour (with commercials) timeslots.

Scott Michael Foster agreed their series benefited from having room to breathe:

Who would want to rush through all of those beautiful on-location scenes anyway? Lacey Chabert's upcoming Hallmark project may be spreading its story out over five weeks, but she assured me it’s still going to provide all the things we love about Hallmark’s movies:

Sign me up! If you’d like to also go on this journey with Lacey Chabert and Scott Michael Foster, the first two episodes of Paris Is Always a Good Idea premiere on Hallmark+ on Thursday, July 30, with new episodes streaming weekly on Thursdays.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds kicked off Season 4, which means we officially only have fifteen more episodes until the series ends. Granted, we won't see the final six episodes until after the 2026 TV schedule is over, but with San Diego Comic-Con coming and going without any major franchise announcements, it's hard not to wonder what's next. Unfortunately, it doesn't seem as though co-showrunners Akiva Goldsman and Henry Alonso Myers have anything planned, but that could change.

I had a chance to speak to the duo ahead of the premiere being available with a Paramount+ subscription, and had to know what both men have planned for the future. Perhaps sensing I was trying to find a subtle way to ask if their pitched sequel for the series was happening, they said this:

It's the big question on everyone's mind as there are currently zero Star Trek shows in active development, despite it being the 60th anniversary. Based on the latest Hall H panel at San Diego Comic-Con, it would appear that the franchise is in a holding pattern, at least for television, until Alex Kurtzman's contract expires later this year.

Either that, or the priority is to get Star Trek back on the big screen, which is a noble cause. It's been a decade since the franchise had a theatrical release, and while Section 31 was a Trek movie made for streaming, it wasn't well-received.

For now, fans have been burned so often with promises of a movie that it's just not top of mind for some. Many would rather see a stronger lineup of shows for streaming on the horizon, as we've seen in the past number of years.

Here's hoping that Paramount+ has the same plans, and that it's just waiting to name a new head of the franchise before we start seeing more shows put in development. Maybe with a new face running the franchise, projects like Star Trek: Year One could actually see the light of day.

Some might point to the fact that Star Trek: Picard never got a follow-up as evidence that a Strange New Worlds spinoff is dead in the water, but I think the situation is different. When fans were begging for Star Trek: Legacy, Paramount already had different projects in the works. Now, with a potential clean slate, it feels like a Paul Wesley-led spinoff could almost certainly happen with fewer hurdles to jump through.

Unfortunately, we can only speculate, which remains a point of frustration for fans. It feels like there are so many questions surrounding Star Trek, and zero answers. I'm crossing my fingers that it'll be a different story when New York Comic-Con rolls around in October.

Before that, check out the preview shared with those in attendance at SDCC.

We have new episodes of Star Trek: Strange New Worlds to enjoy on Paramount+ on Thursdays. Season 4 is widely cited as one of the best by the cast, so I'm eager to see if the fans agree!

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe's premise isn't lost on star Kevin Sussman, who acknowledged this whole experience has him questioning his own reality. The actor was once a comic book store worker with hopes of attending San Diego Comic-Con as a guest, and just recently served as one of the event's main attractions.

CinemaBlend had a chance to chat with Sussman ahead of The Big Bang Theory spinoff bringing its sci-fi comedy to the 2026 TV schedule, and he acknowledged how strange his life currently is. When talking about his sitcom legacy origin hearkening back to his real life, and how he thought geeky audiences would respond to the series, he got into how he struggles to grapple with his specific brand of fame.

It's hard not to think it was kismet helped Kevin Sussman spin his job at a comic book store into the first step toward what's become a prolonged acting career, culminating in a starring role for the character people know him best as. Perhaps way back when, he might've been disappointed about landing the role of Stuart instead of Howard, but not anymore!

As a former comic book fanatic, Kevin Sussman did speak to being part of that kind of fandom, and how he felt fellow "geeks" may respond to Stuart Fails To Save The Universe. Obviously, he's the star of the thing, but I think his comments about how it may resonate with others are indeed valid. As he pu tit:

As someone who is a part of many fandoms and has seen the entirety of Season 1, I tend to agree. Stuart Fails To Save The Universe tends to lean deeper into geekdom than The Big Bang Theory did, and as a result, appeals to me more. The first episode alone delivered a big enough shocker to have me hooked, and that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Obviously, time will tell if the spinoff does as well as other shows in The Big Bang Theory universe. The metric for success is bound to be different for this spinoff, which will be the first one not to air on CBS. It'll also be the first one to feature Batman villain Mr. Freeze, which we saw in the first trailer. This show has a lot of runway to get weird, and based on just that small snippet, it's clear they went all the way with that.

I can't say that I blame Kevin Sussman for opting out of thinking too hard about what he's experiencing. After all, the whole premise feels like it could be the plot for a future episode of the series, which is trippy enough to think about.

Stuart Fails To Save The Universe airs Thursdays at 9:00 p.m. ET via HBO Max subscription. Tune in to watch an unlikely hero try his best to save the multiverse from destruction, and have a few laughs along the way.

One of the most dependable and talented actors working today, Colin Farrell doesn't seem capable of making unwatchable movies and TV shows. The Irish actor also makes his projects just as listenable as they are watchable, thanks in part to his mastery of taking on other countries' accents, particularly American ones. And those skills are fully on display in Farrell's mystery drama Sugar.

The series, available to stream via Apple TV subscription, is currently in the midst of its intense second season, with Better Call Saul vet Tony Dalton serving as John Sugar's key antagonist. And it seems like Farrell has delivered a full melting pot of accents thus far, on top of his quiet and contemplative way of speaking as John Sugar, who technically isn't an American himself, but rather an extraterrestrial, as revealed in the midst of Season 1.

When I spoke to the award-winning actor about his second cycle of playing John Sugar, I asked Colin Farrell if he ever mirrored his character by watching older movies and trying to sound like classic Hollywood stars. That's not quite the case, but it's not too far off from how he and his dialect coach approach the process. As he told me:

For a show like Sugar, where the main character has essentially learned about humanity through noir cinema and P.I. pop culture, it's easy to understand why Farrell's performance is more subdued and observant, as opposed to being a ball of chaos. That extends to the vocal performance, from Sugar's introspective narrations to how he interacts with other characters. (I can only imagine what kinds of actors were referenced when forming his accent for The Penguin.)

While much credit goes to his dialect coach and how she works with him, Colin Farrell also pointed to a childhood spent glued to American TV as an early foundation for his accent work. He continued:

It would have been a prime time to ask Farrell to do his best William Shatner impression for a T.J. Hooker reference. Or even to say some of that show's lines using his wonderfully natural accent. Alas, I might have been the only one tickled by that.

Watching loads of TV and movies, as well as stand-up comedy and theatre, can be a boon for actors trying to perfect their own American accents. But pop culture certainly isn't the only resource for that kind of thing, considering no single medium seems readily capable of showcasing every kind of accent from the majority of the world's cultures. However, there actually IS one such comprehensive collection, which Farrell clued me in on, saying:

Now I really want to know all the details about that audio library. Does it feature the same phrases being spoken in all the world's languages, or are there location-specific topics getting the focus? And what do the people sound like from my stomping grounds in South Louisiana? Could Colin Farrell play a convincing Cajun? Now I'm getting away from the point.

Speaking with showrunner Sam Catlin and executive producer Audrey Chon, I also broached the topic of Colin Farrell's accent game, and asked if they ever noted any words or phrasings that would trip the actor up. To the contrary, Catlin shared that Farrell remained a consummate professional and worked tirelessly to make sure he could pull off Sugar's multi-lingual abilities, which Catlin was happy to lean into. As he put it:

John Sugar never looks like he's struggling when flipping from English to French to Japanese and beyond, but don't let that fool you into thinking Colin Farrell wasn't stressing over getting it right behind the scenes.

While waiting for new episodes of Sugar to drop on Fridays on Apple TV, check out Farrell dropping some F-bombs in his thick Irish accent on live television, as well as a clip of him using his natural voice while fully costumed for The Penguin.

James Marsden is finally stepping back into Cyclops’ visor in the 2026 movie schedule release of Avengers: Doomsday. This long-hoped-for reprisal comes three decades after Marsden first started playing Scott Summers for the original X-Men. The return brings plenty of nostalgia but, as he recently told us, not every part of suiting up feels exactly as it did the first time

CinemaBlend caught up with Marsden at San Diego Comic-Con this weekend. Our own Jeff McCobb asked what felt most different about playing Cyclops again, along with what remained shockingly familiar. Marsden went straight for the easiest target: the passage of time. He explained:

Our interviewer immediately jumped in to insist that the Jury Duty a-lister still looked the same, which earned a laugh and a grateful response from the actor. He accepted the compliment, though he was not about to pretend that wearing a superhero suit today feels identical to doing it in his twenties.

His answer is funny because the Enchanted star remains one of those actors who, much like his Doomsday co-star Paul Rudd, seems to have negotiated unusually favorable terms with aging. Still, Cyclops is not exactly a forgiving role. The costume is tightly fitted, the posture is rigid and Scott Summers has traditionally carried himself as though relaxing his shoulders might trigger an international incident.

Marsden’s original run also arrived during a very different era of comic book movies. He first suited up during production on the groundbreaking comic book film, 2000’s X-Men, before interconnected universes and annual new superhero movie releases became standard studio business. Now, he is returning in a crossover that places the Fox-era mutants alongside Avengers and Fantastic Four characters.

The physical experience may feel different after nearly three decades, but the returning X-Men star said the emotional charge came rushing back as soon as he put on the costume and visor. That part of playing Cyclops, at least, has not changed. He continued:

That enthusiasm helps explain why fans have been so excited about Marsden’s return. Cyclops was a key member of the original Fox-era X-Men lineup, but those movies often pushed him aside to spend more time with Wolverine, Magneto and Professor X. Avengers: Doomsday gives Marvel another chance to show why Scott Summers is supposed to be one of the team’s central leaders.

You can watch a portion of CB's conversation with James Marsden in the clip embedded below:

Marvel officially confirmed Marsden's return as Cyclops alongside Patrick Stewart’s Professor X and Ian McKellen’s Magneto back in March 2025. They'll also be joined in the film by other franchise alums like Rebecca Romijn and Alan Cumming, who will reprise their roles as Mystique and Nightcrawler, respectively. The Russo brothers’ crossover reaches theaters Dec. 18, 2026.

Marsden also joined several of his Doomsday co-stars during Marvel Studios’ Comic-Con presentation, making his return feel considerably more real than a name on a cast list.

Whether Cyclops gets enough screen time to make up for the old movies remains to be seen. Marsden, however, clearly has not lost his affection for the character. His body may be filing a few more complaints, but the visor still flips the same internal switch.

You can revisit Fox's era of Cyclops and all the Marvel movies streaming with a Disney+ subscription.

Spoilers for The Odyssey are in play here, so read on accordingly.

The Odyssey offers up a stellar cast, and all of them give excellent performances throughout Christopher Nolan’s epic book-to-screen adaptation. For me, that definitely applies to John Leguizamo, who plays the role of Eumaeus, Odysseus’ blind and faithful servant. One of Leguizamo’s scenes is honestly quite surprising, and that’s saying a lot due to this film including massive wars and a cyclops in a “dank” cave. With that, Leguizamo spoke to CinemaBlend and got real about knowing people would hate him for THAT moment.

A flashback sequence shows the origins of Odysseus’ loyal dog, Argos, who patiently awaits his master’s return to Ithaca in the present day. It’s established that as a puppy, Argos is part of a litter obtained by Odysseus and Eumaes. In a surprising move, Eumaes takes one puppy from the group and throws it off a cliff before Odysseus picks the pupper who eventually becomes Argos. It’s also implied that the others will suffer the same fate as the one thrown off the cliff seemingly as part of a method of breeding the strongest canines.

Before the film’s debut amid the 2026 movie schedule, CB spoke to Leguizamo alongside his co-star, Himesh Patel (who plays Eurylochus). The John Wick alum shared a funny response when asked how he thought audiences would react to the puppy scene:

Some audience members have indeed expressed reservations about that cliff scene, with some taking to Reddit to express their displeasure. On the other hand, though, others have defended the puppy-throwing practice as accurate to that period of time. Regardless of how someone may feel about what happens during that moment, Leguizamo makes a good point that in time, his character is able to “redeem” himself. He does that by defending an aged Argos when he receives abuse from Penelope’s suitors. Leguizamo and Patel also share:

• John Leguizamo: I know that was rough. I was like, ‘Oh man,’ every time I took a puppy and dropped it off the edge, I mean, obviously….
• Himesh Patel: No puppies were actually harmed.

Yes, unsurprisingly, Nolan and co. took steps to ensure that none of the diminutive dogs were hurt as part of that scene. Leguizamo also offered this important detail:

Of course, that’s not even the most emotionally intense scene Leguizamo had to film while working on The Odyssey. Eumaeus has several cathartic scenes, and Leguizamo plays them to perfection. It’s no wonder his name has been coming up amid the positive reviews Nolan’s latest film has received. Leguizamo’s blind character is one of the film’s heartbeats, and he helps keep the sometimes fantastical story grounded. That’s a tough task, so the Menu alum deserves credit for his efforts.

I still think audiences aren’t going to forget that puppy scene, and more viewers might have less-than-positive thoughts as the box office-breaking Odyssey continues to draw crowds. Still, just remember that all the puppies involved in that scene lived to bark another day. So check out the film now whether you have already or just want to experience it again.

Showmances are fun in Big Brother, but it's not a guarantee they'll have a happy ending. Season 28's Rome Seymour and Lyric Medeiros could be the next Brendon and Rachel Villegas, or they could be the next Christian Birkenberger and Alyssa Lopez. Rome told CinemaBlend he's prepared for both possibilities, and he shared his honest thoughts about Lyric potentially moving on.

As those watching Big Brother online with a Paramount+ subscription witness the aftermath of the Week 4 Head of Household competition, I sat down and talked to Rome about the possibility of Lyric moving on while he's outside of the house. As I was talking about the hypothetical scenario, Rome said he had this exact convo with her before his eviction:

He smiled while talking, but I'm unsure if that was because he was so certain it wouldn't happen, or a bit anxious about having to acknowledge he has no control over the situation. Either is valid, in my opinion, as it would certainly suck to meet someone who could be "the one" and then potentially not have contact with them for two and a half months.

All I know is what Rome said, and he went on to say he's not worried about Lyric. Ultimately, the relationship will be what it's meant to be, and if things don't work out and she moves on before leaving, he's at peace with that:

Rome and Lyric have been a hot topic since Big Brother Season 28 started, with their showmance starting as early as Day 2 in the house. Since then, we've seen them kissing a lot on the feeds, cuddling together while they sleep, and there was a "boner walk" controversy.

The showmance wasn't really a factor in Rome's eviction, as he was seen by Angela Murray and others in the now-formed Tool Shed alliance as the ringleader of the other side of the house. Angela pushed that evicting Rome would "cut off the head of the snake" and leave everyone outside their alliances scrambling to organize.

So far, it seems she's right, as those outside the Tool Shed alliance have yet to formalize any big alliance to effectively combat being unceremoniously evicted in the opening weeks of the game. Unless someone within the Tool Shed decides to blow it up, I don't see how any of them can hope to stay in the game for long.

Big Brother continues with new episodes on CBS on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Thursdays at 8:00 p.m. ET unless otherwise noted. Fingers crossed this week is more entertaining than I expect it to be, but we can only wait and see.

The best video game movies have ben released over the last few years, including Simon McQuoid's pair of Mortal Kombat films. The sequel recently arrived on streaming for those with a HBO max subscription, and now fans like me can re-watch the R-rated adventure over and over again. Bodybuilder and actor Martyn Ford plays the villainous Shao Khan, and spoke to CinemaBlend about the "horrible" process of transforming into the beloved video game character.

Mortal Kombat II hit theaters in May, and now folks can stream the movie over on HBO Max. I had the chance to speak with the movie's cast ahead of its release, where i asked Ford about what it was like becoming Shao Khan. He got honest about the transformation, joking it was:

While Martyn Ford made playing Shao Khan look easy, the reality of becoming the Outworld antagonist was something very different. Namely because of the extensive prosthetics that were applied to his body and face for every single day of shooting. And the latter was used even though the character wore his signature helmet throughout almost all of Mortal Kombat II's 116-minute runtime. Talk about dedication.

While Ford was honest about the difficulty of becoming Shao on the set of Mortal Kombat II, it wasn't all bad. Later in our same conversation he spoke about why playing the video game character was still ultimately "rewarding." He told me:

Despite the hours of makeup and costumes needed before filming Mortal Kombat II, it sounds like Ford is still over the moon about his experience and the video game movie as a whole. And even though Shao Khan was killed by Kitana in the movie's final fight sequence, we'll have to wait and see if the actor ends up reprising his role if a third movie ends up being green lit by Warner Bros.

You can check out my conersation with Martyn Ford about his MK II role below:

While Mortal Kombat II's writer has plans for four more movies, it's currently unclear if Warner Bros. is planning to move forward with the burgeoning franchise. The movie made $129.5 million at the box office, which is significantly more than the first. If it performs well on HBO Max hopefully the studio will decide to green light a threequel. After all, there are tons of stories and characters to mine from.

Mortal Kombat II is streaming now on HBO Max as part of the 2026 movie release list. And it's going to be different watching Ford's performance knowing just how difficult it really was to become Shao Khan.

Star Trek: Strange New Worlds just premiered on the 2026 TV schedule, but the fun doesn't stop there. That's what stars Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount believe, anyway, as the two stars and childhood fans of the franchise have me convinced we'll be watching new franchise entries via Paramount+ subscription before too long.

Before Rebecca Romijn moves on to reprise her role as Mystique in the Marvel universe, I had a chance to speak to her and Mount ahead of the Season 4 premiere of Strange New Worlds, which is currently streaming on Paramount+. When I asked the stars whether they could say anything to ease the minds of fans worried about what's next for Star Trek, seeing as no shows are in active development, she said this:

In no way does she sound worried about the future of Star Trek, and feels confident it'll still be around years from now, and as she mentioned above, it'll continue to be relevant to new generations.

Anson Mount agreed, and dropped a fact that blew my mind in the process. He couldn't claim it as his own, but I appreciated him passing it along during the interview all the same:

Translation: Star Trek is as American as apple pie. Perhaps more so, because apple pie actually originated in England. I guess the math does check out that if America is celebrating its 250th birthday, and Trek its 60th, that is somewhere in the ballpark of 25%.

Rebecca Romijn and Anson Mount's thoughts echo those of other prominent names of Star Trek, many of whom don't believe it will ever fully go away. I tend to agree, especially with Paramount still making efforts to bring it back to the big screen with a movie on the big screen.

Star Trek will continue, but I think there are solid fears from fans about how it will continue. How long will fans have to wait for a new television series, and who will be put in charge of making it happen? As it stands, it seems the company is ready to move on from Alex Kurtzman running its television department, leaving the door open for fresh blood to take the reins. Kurtzman did tell CinemaBlend a while back that fans shouldn't fear this transition period, merely because there's just so much Paramount has to tackle to complete its merger with Warner Bros. Discovery.

All this to say, it doesn't sound like anyone in charge is worried about Star Trek ending. So we'll continue to play the waiting game and remain optimistic that positive updates on the franchise are on the way. Beyond that, watch Star Trek: Strange New Worlds Season 4 on Paramount+ with new episodes streaming on Thursdays!